Lauren's Story
by Art and Soul
Summary: Sort of a companion fic to my awesome friend Memoranda's "My Messed Up Life", chapter s  32 . It's Lauren, the new girl's point of view on the story since she got there. T for suicide in ch. 1. Read My Messed Up Life to understand this story. :3
1. The Meeting

**This is kind of a reply-fiction to _My Messed Up Life_ by meh awesome buddeh, Memoranda. **

**She's awesome, and if you haven't read her fic, go now, or I'll sick France on you.**

**This is the new character, Lauren's, back-story/past/general reason why she was there.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters below, or anything you recognize.**

**INFO: This is partially based on a suicidal dream/nightmare thing I had on the 12th, up until she's in the new world…so, yeah.**

**From then on out it's from my weird, slightly dark, possibly bipolar mind.**

**Enjoy~!**

**PS: My foreign languages probably suck, since I'm using Google Translate™ to write them…C'mon, I've just started learning Japanese! D:**

**/But why's the rum gone? D:\\**

Lauren sat on her bed, drawing a picture.

It was a beautiful ball-gown design.

It was a delicate, pale yellow, and if real, would ever-so-softly brush the floor.

It was simple, yet so complicated…

The brunette girl sighed.

She drew it for her sister.

It was the day of February the 12th, the day Jenny died, in a fatal car crash…

_To heck with automobiles_, Lauren thought.

She got online and watched a Youtube tribute someone'd made for her sister.

Then she checked her email, and saw that a fanfiction friend had left her a message…

She read that, and it was another psychological question.

She told everyone that she loved to listen to people and help them through things, like a psychologist of sorts…

But no one knew her internal trauma.

She was the therapist in need of therapy, as it were, and only put up a happy front for the people she cared about.

Her friends and family, even people she'd only talked to once or twice—they all thought her a bubbly, happy, sometimes sarcastic and extremely random girl.

No.

She was not happy.

She was a mess.

She was broken…

She considered cutting herself, but decided not to.

She knew that it would only hurt her more in the long run…

She was always an impatient person.

Her mind finally screamed at her to do something, instead of sitting there and weeping all the time.

She didn't cry, actually—more like teared up every now and then…but still.

She decided, on that evening…

She would take her own life.

Lauren tensed, and began typing out her suicide message.

She decided to write it as a poem…

_Dear God, take me away._

_Whisk me to Heaven, that's what I pray._

_Save my soul from Hell so hot,_

_Should I go? I'd rather not._

_Dear Tenshi, I'll miss you._

_Thanks for trying._

_I know you'll read this, please stop your crying._

_I hope that you and Isaac achieve_

_That happy ending that you so dearly believe_

_That you'll get, I believe in it, too._

_I promise I'll watch him_

_And make sure he doesn't hurt you._

_Dear Ben, you're weird._

_I just wanted to say._

_Promise you'll be good while I'm away._

_It's only for a while, but not just for today._

_You can have anything of mine that you care_

_Think of it like this, I'll always be there_

_To give you some guidance, even if I can't give you hugs_

_Remember, be nice, and don't eat any bugs._

_Dear Rosie, don't cry, cuz I know you will._

_Know that I'm happy, even if I'm still_

_Like a statue, or barely breathing_

_Calm Robby down please, he's gonna be seething_

_When he finds that I've taken my life._

_Dear Mem-chan, I know that when you read this, you'll be mad._

_Or perhaps, you'll be jealous, or maybe just sad?_

_I know I'm a hypocrite, now, it's true_

_After all the support I offered to you._

_Please stay strong, don't pull out that knife._

_Because someday, you'll be glad, living a happy life._

_Dear Shizuka, remember to stay strong!_

_I know it'll be tough, but it won't be long_

_Before I see you again, in Heaven someday._

_I know you all tried so hard to cheer me up,_

_But now my poem's done._

_Yes, I know that doesn't rhyme, I just said that my poem's over._

_Get it? _

_Okay, so I decided that I'm gonna die._

_That's right, by the time you've read this, I'll have probably already moved on._

_Surprised? Yeah, I thought so._

_I know it kind of seemed like I was such a cheerful person, and that's how I want you to remember me._

_I'm really going to miss all of you, and I know it's selfish to have died, but I couldn't take this world anymore._

_So….that's pretty much it._

_Log on to my Fanfiction account and say goodbye to my friends for me, or better yet, post this as a story._

_See you all in Heaven._

_Love, _

_Lauren_

She had no idea that up until this point, she was in tears.

She went and found the katana her friend had given her on her birthday.

The black sheath was so beautiful…Lauren would miss it.

She'd recently sharpened the blade, planning on using it on thieves or some sort of criminal… she never planned on using it on herself.

She shakily brought the blade to her neck, and in one fluid motion, slit her own throat, before she could change her mind.

It hurt…

It hurt so bad.

She tried to scream, realizing just how stupid it was to do that, but to no avail—she'd cut through her voicebox.

Within a few seconds, everything went black…she felt so tired….

She'd just rest for a minute, then she'd go and tell her mother about this crazy thing.

Her mom would take her to the hospital and she'd be okay…so she closed her eyes.

And never opened them again…

In that world.

XxXxXx Lauren POV XxXxXx

I felt cold.

No…I felt cold on the outside.

My skin was chilled.

My heart was racing, and my neck hurt; it burned, white-hot.

I unsteadily inched my hand to touch my neck…

When I pulled it back, I felt something cold, but sticky…

I opened my eyes as much as I could—which mean mere, chocolate-colored slits—and saw the crimson liquid I feared on my fingertips.

I also saw an abundance of snow…hmm.

How interesting…

I lay for a moment, before reaching slowly into my pocket and pulling a packet of Kleenex out, taking several and placing them on my wound.

For now, I would at least try to stop the bleeding…but I'll forever have that scar.

After a minute, the bleeding lessened—I knew it, I felt less cold—and as the wound closed, I reached inside my pocket again—yes, my candle matches!

I know how stupid this self-healing is, but I had to try and cauterize the slit, or it'd just open again…

I lit one of the small matches, and cautiously held it to my neck, flinching violently at the burn.

It was working…

When I'd closed the wound so riskily, I stood up.

My hair was tangled, now, because of the snow that I'd laid in just moments ago.

I took a step, and nearly fell over again, but kept going.

My chocolate eyes saw color in just about everything—I had a new appreciation for life.

I passed a piano shop, and smiled, remembering a character from an anime I loved so very much.

After a bit of walking, I stopped at a small shop and bought a sunflower-yellow scarf—thank goodness I'd had a few dollars in her pocket, and again, thank goodness the shop owners took American currency…

And thank goodness once more, that I speak German.

"Wo bin ich?" I asked the cashier, a woman with dark brown hair and black eyes. **{Where am I?}**

"Wien, Osterreich." The cashier responded dully, handing me the scarf. **{Vienna, Austria.}**

I froze.

Vienna, Austria…no—way…

Does that mean that…I'm in some sort of different time period…?

"Danke!" I called, leaving the store and wrapping the scarf tightly around my neck. **{Thank you!}**

I gotta admit, I'm pretty cold—I never really liked snow unless I had the proper snow jacket, pants, and five layers of socks.

And mittens.

Mittens are good. 

I walked along, slowly but steadily, and eventually heard the rushing of a river.

Hmm…A river wouldn't be rushing now; it'd be frozen over…

But then again, I should be dead…anything's possible…

My chocolate eyes blinked slowly once, twice, three times, until I finally kept walking.

Suddenly, I heard a voice call out!

In Japanese, no less!

"Watashi shinitakunai! Watashi shinitakunai!" The voice called, worriedly. **{I don't want to die! I don't want to die!}**

The person—the voice sounded feminine, so I guessed it was a girl—sounded as if they were crying.

I looked up, and saw…no way!

What's America doing in a tree?

The blonde…no, brown…wait…grr!

The hair was the right length, and cut…but the person was female.

She was wearing a black dress, and a hoodie…Hehee, black is my favorite color~

Anyway, from here her eyes look to be a bright blue.

I think I see some kind of scrape on her cheek…it looks kind of new…hmm.

The person clung to the trunk at the top of an oak tree, just above the river.

My Japanese classes kicked in, as did my "psychologist" mindset.

I'd helped many people in my life back in England…

I'm going to miss them.

I'm also going to see if computers are invented yet, in this time period, and where I can access one.

But first, I'mma save a frickin' life, cuz I'm a hero!

…I really need to stop watching Hetalia.

"Shinaide kudasai!" I called back. **{Then don't!}**

The girl looked down at me, probably wondering who the heck I was…well, I'm a random passerby.

"Shinaide kudasai!" I call again, "Wa shinitainai baai wa, tan'ni ori!" **{Then don't! If you don't want to die, just come down!}**

"I-iie! Sore wa watashi shinu koto o ikani jūyō ka shiranai!" The girl calls back, obviously distraught…well, I was, too, when I decided to die. **{N-no! You don't know how important it is that I die!}**

But I realized, too late, how monumentally _stupid_ it was, committing suicide…

"Sōda ne…" I began, starting to climb the tree, "…Watashiniha arimasen. Shikashi... Watashi wa tasuke shiyo koto ga dekimasu ka?" I asked. **{You're right… …I don't. But…can I try to help?}**

The girl shakes her head, clutching the tree tighter, as if some sort of lifeline—which, as of now, it sort of was.

"O ga dekiru koto wa nani arimasen!" The girl shouts. **{There's nothing you can do!}**

I'm about a branch below the girl now, our heads are level.

"Te kudasai. Watashi ni hanashikakete kudasai. Nani ga warui nodeshou ka?" I ask calmly, and the girl shakes her head again, swallowing back tears. **{Please. Talk to me. What's wrong?}**

"Watashiniha muri." She says. **{I can't.}**

"Wa suru koto ga dekimasu," I argue, brushing snowflakes out of the girl's short hair. **{You can.}**

"O nai to onaji..." The girl starts. **{You wouldn't…}**

"Watashi monodenaideshou ka rikai dekimasu ka? Bokute mite kudasai." **{I wouldn't what? Understand? Try me.}**

She glares at me.

"Sekai demo watashi no chi no chikara mottomo kyōryokuna genbaku, watashi ga shineba, dare mo o akutibu suru koto wa dekimasen. Ima shiawasedesu ka?" **{My blood powers the most powerful bomb in the world, and if I die, no one can activate it. Happy now?}**

This is a surprising reply.

Bomb…?

"... Anata wa tadashī to. Watashi sono jōkyō ni i rikai shite imasen. Watashi wa keisatsu e ikuga yakunitatanai to katei shi?" I respond. **{...You were right. I don't understand being in that situation. I assume that going to the police won't help?} **

She makes a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob…hmm.

"Watashi wa anata dake yōna jōdan-ware shinjirarenai..." **{I can't believe you just cracked a joke like that…}**

I laugh.

"Sā, o ori mimashou." I say. **{Come on, let's get you down.} **

She stares at me for a good minute or two.

I can see so many emotions fluttering through those blue eyes…

It almost worries me.

After a minute, however, she nods and the two of us climb down.

XxXxXx

**[A/N: From here-on-out, everything they say is still Japanese, but will be written in English, for the sake of the readers and my fingers.]**

"So who are you?" The girl asks.

I'd learned her name is Issa.

"My name is Lauren." I tell her.

She's a bit taller than me.

"How do you know Japanese? I don't think you're from Japan…" She asks me suspiciously.

"It's true. I'm from England…but I learned Japanese, German, French, Chinese and Russian, because of my love for a TV show…it's about the World Wars, in case you're wondering." I reply, with a smile.

I take her to a coffee shop, but it didn't seem to cheer her up at all…hmm.

"So," I ask, taking a sip from my espresso, "Do you have anything to do with the strange goings on back in England? Just a few days ago, I swear to you, something happened. I don't know what, but something happened..."

…Before I died.

"Uh…have you heard of an anime called Hetalia?"

I nearly jump out of my seat in surprise.

"No way! I love Hetalia!" I cry out, but pause. "Wait, why?"

"What if I told you it was real?" She questions.

My eyes widen, and I feel my pulse begin to race…what if my neck opens again?

I try to calm myself down with espresso.

But first, I pour more sugar into it.

"It depends…How much information do you have?" I ask her.

"Weird stuff in England…and most likely, Canada and Germany."

I nearly jump once again.

"T-they're real?" I ask in disbelief. "Have–…Have you met them?" I continue, more calmly.

She nods, and I mentally gasp.

"Some of them…you're not a big Germany fangirl, are you? Cause he's kind of evil."

"More or less Russia-evil?" I ask.

"Much more. Russia's a big sweetie." She says with a laugh.

I can't keep myself from bouncing in my seat a bit…what?

This is awesome.

My face contorts into a wacky grin.

"You've met Russia? Who else? Who else?" I ask happily.

"Um…The Allies, the Axis, Austria, Hungary, Prussia, Canada and Cuba, for a little bit…"

Unintentionally I jerk forward, and perform a rather awesome spit-take.

"You—you've met Prussia?" I ask, coughing a bit.

"Yeah." Issa laughs, and helps me clean my spewed espresso up with a napkin.

I lean in conspiratorially, and my eyes widen as I feel excitement and giddiness build up inside me.

"No way! Was he awesome?" I ask, my voice lowering a bit as I asked the question.

"Yeah. He's not power-hungry and sadistic like Germany. He tried to teach me Japanese before Japan—"

I accidentally cut her off, mid-sentence, with "Wait, you speak English? Why are we talking in Japanese?"

"It's...It's complicated...Japan made a translator gun-thingy that makes me speak Japanese. I can still understand English, but whenever I try to speak it, my brain just kinda scrambles around until I'm speaking Japanese. It's really annoying," Issa explains, scowling at the wadded-up napkins on the table.

"No way…that sucks…" I say quietly, losing my smile a bit.

"Yeah, I don't know why Japan went with Germany's plan…last I checked, Japan had renounced war."

My head tilts to the side, ever-so-slightly.

"…I wonder why Germany's like this in the first place. He's mostly just so cute and socially awkward," I say with a sense of confusion building up inside my stomach, "So how did you get dragged into this mess?"

Issa took a deep breath, and sighed.

"Where to start...It's kinda hard to believe that this happened 'bout a week ago. Feels like forever..."

She takes a packet of sugar and dumps it on the table.

Swirling it around with her pinky finger, she starts to explain.

"I was in class. Germany, Japan, and Italy walked in and took me and another boy, Josh. They cut my hair to make me look like America, and we were separated. They kidnapped a girl that looks like China, Jia Li, a boy that looks like Russia, Dimah, I think his name is, and a boy that looks like France, Harvey. I think. I don't know those two very much."

I watch as she pushes the sugar up to make a little sugar-mountain and then crushes it with her index finger.

"Jia Li and I escaped and ran into Iggy, then we met China and America, then I stopped Cuba from hurting Canada when he was in one of those rages. We found out that I wasn't like America, but more like Canada, and that if you followed the patterns, someone who really was like America would be kidnapped."

She sweeps the sugar pile into a napkin and crumples it up.

"We found him, Zack, and saved him." Her voice broke a bit at this 'Zack' person's name, but she kept going.

"So, I tried to go back home, because they thought I wasn't in danger anymore, but the next day, America and Canada came back because they found a video that England accidentally took that Germany captured him because he wanted my whereabouts. England...He-...he didn't talk, and now, he's insane because of something Germany did...That's probably what's wrong in the country England..." She trailed off, tears threatening to spill.

I process this information…who knew?

Hetalia is real.

That means that this war Germany has declared is real…

And…now my country is insane…

Bullocks.

I get depressed and die in one portion of the world, and now, here I am, depressed **again** in another!

Oh, well.

I have an obligation, now, to watch over Issa…

She seems to be either my age or a bit older.

Something about all of this…is just so surreal…

I scoot my chair next to Issa's and put my arm around her comfortingly.

"So," She continues while wiping her eyes.

"Switzerland-...oh, derp, that's right I met him and Liechtenstein—saved him and Josh from Germany. Harvey and Dimah were released, probably because they weren't important to Germany's first plan. I-...kinda-sorta-mighta...kissed Zack a little... and maybe-sorta fell a little in love with him, but Germany knew, or guessed that, and kidnapped him and my little sister, so I would take the bait and he could activate the bomb and kill everyone. And, I kinda ran away from Austria's house and that's where we met. The end. Questions?"

I'm utterly stunned.

I already have a feeling of sisterly overprotectiveness forming in my mind, and hearing about Zack puts it into overdrive.

Who's this Zack person?

I'll make sure to have a nice little talk with him when I meet him…

But for now I'm talking to Issa, and that's important.

"What was Germany's first plan?" I ask her.

"Good question," She says, "I don't know. But his second plan is to take me, kill anyone who gets in his way, and blow the world up."

"So…Instead of drawing a circle and seeing the earth, he's drawing blood and _not_ seeing the world." I crack a smirk at my weird comment.

Issa facepalms.

"Yes, thank you for that image, Lauren."

I freeze, and then I can practically hear my brain whirring.

"Wait, did you say you ran away from Austria's house? Girl, we gotta get you back! Besides, Germany or Japan could be anywhere!" I said, grabbing Issa's hand and pulling her up.

"And I really want to meet them," I mumble under my breath in English.

"Heard that!" Issa said in Japanese…hnnnn…

"Danke," I say in German to the cashier, who looked utterly baffled at the two of us.

I would be, too, if I was some German-speaking man, minding my own business—literally—and two beaten-looking girls come in and talk in Japanese for a good 20 minutes…

After a few minutes of leading Issa, I suddenly realize something absolutely crucial:

I have no idea where Austria lives.

"Um…where are we going?" I ask her shyly.

She facepalms again, and says, "Follow me."

XxXxXx

I'm not quite sure that Issa had the route to Austria's house completely memorized, either.

We got lost quite a few times.

When we do finally reach the large house, I nearly die at what we see.

Issa seems a bit frazzled, and her face is as red as the cut on her cheek.

Almost as soon as we pass the threshold, a man with black hair and violet eyes runs over, ranting loudly about irresponsible Issa was, how worried he was, and how he thought that Issa had tried to free Zack and Renae by herself, and who the Mozart am I…If I wasn't paralyzed I'd giggle.

Issa smiles at him, contradicting his angry face, and I stand stock-still.

THIS IS _AUSTRIA_.

**A_USTRIA!_**

"This is Lauren. She helped me when I needed it most. I'm really sorry, Austria. It won't happen again." She says, and Austria sighs and stomps off, grumbling.

Issa looks over at me, and looks slightly relieved about something…I wonder what?

She then proceeds to laugh and wave a hand in front of my face, knocking me out of my Austrian reverie; I stare at her, wide-eyed.

"Th-that was really Austria?" I ask-it almost came out as a whisper.

"Yup. In all his OCD glory." Issa replied, and I snickered, mentally.

I allow myself a fangirl squee; I'm feeling quite lightheaded, so I probably couldn't stop it if I tried.

Issa smirked at me.

"Dude, get up. You can't meet the others if you're asleep." she stated.

"Who else is here?" I shrieked, nearly losing all self-control to my fangirlish willpower as I tugged on Issa's black hoodie sleeve.

"Um, America, Canada, England, Hungary, Russia and France. And Josh, Harvey, Dimah, his sisters, and Zack's sister, Josie are somewhere around here." Issa responded, and I jumped up and down, grinning so happily it was almost frightening.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" I yell, and Issa leads me into a room.

It was a hospital room, as dreary and white as the ones in England.

White walls, white bed, white sheets, white tiled floor, white furniture, white flowers in a white vase—I think you get the point.

"Um..." Issa starts to speak, and I turn to her.

"...America and Canada are kinda...distraught, and Iggy...he's...Well, if you get too close, he'll start screaming about monsters." She warns me.

I nod, my smile vanishing almost instantly, "Kay."

England is...insane.

I'm insane.

I'm from England...hmm...

Maybe this crazy plan of mine will work...?

It's a small chance, but it's a chance all the same.

_Phase #1 of my awesome plan begins...now_, I sigh mentally, and take in a big breath.

This will either end very well or very badly...let's hope for the former, shall we?

I walk over to America and Canada.

Canada is sleeping...he's so CUTE!

Wait, no—calm down, Lauren.

I have to stay calm.

Don't upset Arthur...

I begin to talk in English.

"Hello, Alfred. My name is Lauren, and I-"

"Dude, you sound like Iggy..." America interrupts, with a slight smile.

"I know. I'm from England. Do you want to talk about anything? Issa filled me in on everything that's happened so far."

Silence.

"Well, you're a lot nicer than Iggy..."

"Stop focusing so hard on Arthur. That's part of what's troubling you." I say seriously, and place a hand on his shoulder; he nods at me.

I look into his eyes and see pain, worry... Depression.

"So do you like hamburgers?" He asks suddenly, and I smile and nod.

I've only had a few in my short lifetime, but they were quite delicious, I daresay.

"That's great! Iggy doesn't like hamburgers, so I thought that all his citizens wouldn't like them, but I guess that's not true!" America is comforted, and so phase #1 is complete.

Time for phase #2 of my awesome plan.

Without any particular warning, I slowly, cautiously walk over to England's crazy-bed.

He was sitting cross-legged, fiddling with his shirt buttons, like they were bothering him...I wonder...

"Can I sit with you?" I ask softly, comfortingly; when he looks up at me, he tenses immediately when he looks up at me.

"...Will you eat me if I say no?" he asks.

"No," I reply, and after a moment, he relaxes a little bit; I wait for his response.

"...Alright." he said, and I smile softly at my country's personification as I sit on the edge of the bed.

I stare curiously at him (mostly his eyebrows) and my mind begins to whir once again.

Now for the moment of truth...so far, so good, and all that...

"Arthur, what color are my eyes?" I ask him softly.

He ponders for a good minute, and finally responds, "Brown."

At this Issa and Alfred look up, and directly at Iggy.

"Really?" Alfred begins.

"What color is her hair?" he asks, and I see a spark of hope in his aqua eyes.

"Brown," England responds.

Is...Is my plan actually working?

The hope builds up inside me as well as Alfred, and I'm positive that Issa feels it too...

"Wh-what color are my eyes?" He continues.

"Red." Arthur says...

My hope explodes into pieces, and I watch Alfred's face fall...

"A-are you sure?"

England cocks his head to the side, like a small child. "Yes."

"Artie, please!" Alfred yells. "Please! You know me! I'm your little brother! You know me! You know..."

England looks at him, then at Issa, and then me, then back to him. "No, I don't."

I fiddle with my scarf sadly.

I tried...

And I'm going to keep trying...

I promise, Alfred...Matthew...Issa...

I promise Arthur.

XxXxXx

**Nyuahhahaha!**

**Chaptah one, peopleses!**

**I might keep making Laurens's point of view...if it's okay with Memoranda, of course~!**

**Nyeheeheee~!**


	2. Filler 1!

**RANDOM FILLER CHAPTER!**

**MUAHAHA!**

**Hmm…nope, I still don't own Hetalia…. *cryforever***

**These filler chapters probably won't correspond with _My Messed Up Life_, they're most likely just scenes from Lauren's past…which, technically, is my past…so fleh.**

**/Hide the rum!\\**

It was around midnight, and I was wide-awake, as usual.

Haha, I'm owlish like that…I'm awake to about 7-8 AM when I'm actually tired, and I sleep to about 4 PM…

So here I am, bored out of my mind, with nothing to do.

I wander around my small room, play with my old cream-colored teddy bear, then my tabby-cat, and then finally I sit in front of my piano.

I'm feeling a bit sad, so I think…

I'll play _Hallelujah_.

So I do.

I place my hands over the keys, and softly—very, VERY softly—I begin to play.

_**I heard there was a secret chord**_

_**That David played, and it pleased the Lord**_

_**But you don't really care for music, do you?**_

_**It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift**_

_**The baffled king composing, Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Your faith was strong, but you needed proof**_

_**You saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you**_

_**She tied you to her kitchen chair, she broke your throne, she cut your hair**_

_**And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

I had no idea that, in my future, this would apply so much to my destiny in life.

If I could only see into the future…

I laughed a bit, and that's when mum came in.

"Lauren, it's half past midnight. You need to go to sleep so you can get up for school tomorrow."

"I know, mum, sorry…goodnight." I say, and she nods, exiting the room.

I turn the electric keyboard off and lay my head on my pillow, still feeling wide-awake.

I reach underneath my mattress, and to my luck, I pull out a _Hetalia_ manga!

After a while of reading, I actually do get tired and fall asleep, with the manga open across my face…ha, Facebook…

**One page!**

**Short, right?**

**Yeah, I know…I'm just wasting time til Memoranda-sama can update! :3**

**She's awesome.**

**Seriously…Like, Prussian-awesome.**

**And stuff.**

**Later~!**


	3. Meeting the Allies or I REGRET NOTHING!

**CHAPTER 2…or 33. **

**I don't even know anymore! :D **

**Thank you very much to Memoranda for reviewing (twice! *gives one free Canada*) and CelticGirl7 for reviewing! **

**You're all Prussian awesome! **

**May your cat-ears be sexy and your masks retro-cool. **

**Anyway, on to the awesome chapter in Lauren's POV!**

**XxXxXx**

Out of the corner of my eye, I see America's face fall, and tears welling up in his eyes.

I almost feel bad for him, but I tried...hey, wait a second!

I grin mentally as I turn to England, stony-faced.

I adjust my scarf and when I feel a jolt of pain I wince, but just a little.

Before anyone could comment, I talk to Arthur, my sick brain coming up with another plan.

"Listen to me, Arthur… You aren't crazy, do you understand? Issa and Alfred aren't monsters." I say, calmly and seriously, my chocolate eyes locking with his unfocused emeralds.

I earn an uncertain, slow nod from my country, and continue.

"Good, now tell me..." I pause, just for drama, and…

"Why in the name of Hungary's frying pan are your eyebrows so bushy?" I ask, putting on a well-played face of curiosity and confusion.

Everyone but me brought their palms to their foreheads—all except a sleeping Canada, whom is still adorable, mind you.

"Lauren—" Issa began, but was cut off by a voice that made me grin, just slightly.

"_WHAT_? My eyebrows are _perfectly_ normal, thank you very much! There's nothing particularly abnormal about my eyebrows! Why does everyone think that?" England yells at me while facepalming.

However, I was not intimidated by his outburst.

In fact, I was excited about this, as I continued to egg him on with an evil smirk on my face.

"Yeah, they are! And has anyone ever told you that you _suck _at cooking? 'Cause you do."

England turned red with pure anger as he sputtered unintelligible syllables furiously. "WHA—? Why, You- I CAN NOT- I'm going to- You ungrateful little-"

"Yeah, I just went there," I said while snapping my fingers.

"I mean, really. How did you _survive _eating that scum? Scones, kidney pies? What are _those _about? Really? How did you even _think_ of those things?"

I was making this part up.

I actually quite enjoyed scones, when they were made properly, but according to Hetalia this was going to really bite my country in the hind.

England couldn't even make a coherent sentence as his face flushed a deep red that I only saw on actual blood and firetrucks...and bloody firetrucks.

Don't ask. :3

Suddenly, I see Issa's eyes light up with a bit of...remembrance?

She mutters something I don't quite catch, and apparently now we were plotting similarly.

"Going back to the eyebrow thing," She says loudly. "They're like two giant caterpillars. Just say'n."

She receives the most powerful death-glare that I had seen in a while, even from my school peers, who just LOVED to hate me...

Anyway.

"It's _saying_, and NO_, THEY BLOODY WELL AREN'T!_"

"Yeah, they are!" I say, "And they're not even like eyebrows, they're just like these little lines!"

While I try to make him furious, I see Issa nudge America, excitedly grinning and jumping up and down.

"Make him as angry as possible! He's normal when he's angry. Just make fun of his eyebrows and cooking, use bad grammar, anything!" She whispers.

We all annoy him for a few more minutes, watching in awe at how much like himself he was when he was hating our guts.

I knew this was horrible, and guilt began to rise inside my stomach and lungs, but I had to keep going.

We egged him on…

But soon, England just...exploded.

"_ENOUGH!_ What's _WRONG_ with you monsters? Just leave me alone, just _LEAVE_!"

America looked hurt, I notice.

"But— but— but you were okay! You were you! How—how...What happened?"

"Insanity poison, that's what happened, you git! And I intend to pay you back in kind for all of the insults you gave me just now! America, you are _SO_ dead!" England yelled, grinning the whole time.

Yes...it worked!

I give off a triumphant smirk as the guilt ebbs away and is replaced with triumph and happiness.

The jolly England is returned…Haha, fear my poor sarcasm!

"E-England?" America stuttered.

"What?" England asked, still smiling.

"You—...You're..."

England sighed. "Do I have to spell it out for you? You oblivious idiot."

"..." No response from the blue-eyed nation.

"_YES_. Yes, you git, I'm okay! Gosh, I expected a bit more than this!" England laughed, embracing America.

"ENGLAND!" Issa shouted, tackle-hugging the both of them.

"You're okay! You're okay! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! You— you didn't tell him anything, even though he was hurting you so badly! This all happened because of me! I'm sorry!" Issa says hurriedly.

He laughs, squeezing her and America, who was crying in relief.

"It's okay, love. There's no way you could've known if Germany would take me or not, and it was my choice not to tell him. It's not your fault," Arthur says gently.

"Lauren, get your British butt over here and join our group hug!" Issa yells at me through surges of joy.

I'm good with that.

I have no problem doing so as I sprint at the three hugging people...nations... Well, you know.

I could hear myself fangirl-squeeing...

Not mentally, either...

Later, Canada woke up because of the excited noise and is pulled into the group hug.

I squee mentally at how cute he is.

When everyone finally let go of each other, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

We were all just so happy, and relieved and thankful that none of us really cared about our dignity right now...

Haha, I don't have (or care about) a reputation anyway... :3

It seemed that our unmuffled emotion had attracted the other countries...

Russia had just entered the room, asking, "What is all of this-"

He never finished.

...Because my fangirl instincts kicked in, leading to my flight toward the nation while I yelled,

"I REGRET NOTHING!"

"Lauren!" Issa shouts, half exasperated, half hysterically laughing.

Issa runs over to where Russia is now lying in a dazed heap on the floor, being attacked with my evilly epic fangirl hugs, and probably wondering what had just hit him...

I did~!

Issa takes one of my arms and pulls on it.

"Lauren, get up! You can't become one with him yet!" She strains to yank me off of Russia.

I mentally squee again when I hear "yet".

When Issa succeeds in prying me off of Russia, she quickly tries to apologize to him.

He seemed to think I was as psychotic as Belarus, as he was shaking and on the verge of tears.

I almost regret my instincts...

Almost. :3

Then, I hear France laughing. "Onhonhonhon, who is this young girl with vous, Mon Cherie Issa?"

"This is—LAUREN, _NO!_" Issa shouts to me, when I decided to glomp the pervy blond nation as well.

I looked at her after I had successfully bowled France over and repeated these three happy words:

"I regret nothing~!"

France smirked up at me.

Before something most likely perverted could come out of his mouth, Issa warns him, "You'd better think about what you're going to say, Frenchie. I'd like to tell you that I can kick pretty hard."

To me, she says, "No, you can't become one with him either. Sorry."

I pout and crawled off of France's cloak(non?).

XxXxXx

Within a few minutes, Issa introduces me to the countries.

I try to control my squees and glomps, but Issa still makes sure that I keep myself in-check.

Suddenly I notice something.

"Hey, where's China, aru?" I ask, smiling slightly as I look around.

Issa laughs at my small merrymaking and replies, "Good question."

Canada looks up from his French conversation with France, and facepalms.

"Ah, maple, I forgot to call him!"

He proceeds to pull a maple-leaf-covered cell phone from his pocket and calls China.

**(A/N: Hehe, the authors note here was really funny. Hehehehe, hi readers!)**

After a few minutes, he hangs up and blushes sheepishly. "Oops. He's coming now. Sorry."

"Is Jia Li coming, too?" Issa asks.

"Yes."

Issa smiles, which causes me to smile as well.

She obviously is thinking about something, and the relief I see in her eyes is a good sign...

After Canada had made the phone call, Issa started leading me around the house, trying to find Dimah, his sisters, Josh, Harvey, and Josie.

They can hide pretty well, apparently.

While Issa was looking around, I was asking questions.

"Who's Zack?"

Issa jumped and accidentally slammed the door she was holding open.

"H-he's not really—"

"I mean, how much does he mean to you?" I ask.

I need to know more about this guy if I'm to approve of him.

"Um...Well...Why do you ask?" Issa sounds a tad nervous.

I poke her in the arm.

"Don't answer a question with a question. Bad grammar." **(A/N: So are fragments. :3)**

"Well...He—...He made me feel special. He made me like him more even when he was trying to let me choose...another dude," She says, turning to open the next door; she's turning red, I can see it from here.

"Mmm. And who's the 'other dude'?" I ask, twirling a piece of hair around my finger.

"No one," She answered a little too quickly...Ha, checkmate!

I think for a while.

Let's see... She barely knows Dimah from what I can tell, and has a slight repulsion to Harvey...poor guy.

He can't help it he's French.

This leaves only one human conclusion.

"It's that Josh guy isn't it? I heard you say you were first kidnapped with him. You guys probably had an emotional bond with each other in your time of need. Am I right?"

"Noooo..." She obviously lies, holding the syllable out, stretching it out like she was to the truth.

The truth does not make good taffy, just so you know..

"Hm," I say, deciding not to inquire any further—Issa looks relieved at this.

After a few more doors, we finally find Josie and Josh.

Josh seemed to be trying to talk to Josie, but she was getting mad at him pretty quickly.

Issa clears her throat before Josie could—as it seemed was going to happen—snap and probably kill him, and their heads whip towards the door.

I can't help but smirk ever-so-slightly.

"Hey, guys, this is Lauren," Issa says, smiling slightly.

Josh limps towards her.

I think he's going for a handshake from me, but he hugs Issa.

She awkwardly pats his back, ignoring the smirk from your truly.

"Shut up..." She mumbles, glaring at me.

When Josh lets go, he turns to me.

"Hi there," He says. "I'm Issa's boyfriend, Josh."

Oh dear, this will be awkward...

XxXxXx

**Nyuahhahaha!**

**Lauren's view of chapter 33 (or "I REGRET NOTHING") of Memoranda's story, My Messed Up Life!**

**Hehe.**

**Neither one of us owns Hetalia, FYI. :3**


	4. Issa's Therapy, No Longer Filler!

**I decided to change this filler into the next Lauren's POV chapter. :3 **

**Don't kill me with tomatoes!**

**Anyway, I don't own Hetalia, and I don't own Issa, Josh, Josie, Dimah, Harvey, Alina, Vera, Renae…I think you get the point.**

**I don't own Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (That's my definite maybe on who originally wrote this.) **

**I DO own Lauren, and I (think I) own the parody lyrics.**

**Onward, to (VICTORY) chapter 3~! :D**

_"Hi here," Josh says. "I'm Issa's boyfriend, Josh."_

I glance at Issa, silently sending her the optical message of, 'Yuh-huh. Defiantly not this guy.'

She glares at me intently.

We vaguely notice that Josie has disappeared, but Issa was too busy tensing for some reason to notice.

"Uh…H-hello, Josh. I'm Lauren…Lauren Cohen." **(A/N: I couldn't help it. Yay Leonard Cohen~!)**

"It's nice to meet you." Josh says with a slight smile…he really does resemble England, doesn't he?

"Quite. As to you, Josh." I say, and nod at him.

When we're done meeting each other, we all walk back out, looking for the others.

Josie went somewhere, but I didn't see exactly which direction, and I'm not getting lost in this mansion to look for her...

Issa opens a door and…France…no, Harvey… is there, looking out the window, lost in thought.

Issa taps the wall and he jumps violently.

She proceeds to nudge me, and he and I begin speaking in French.

"Bonjour. Parlez vous Francois?" **{Hello. Do you speak French?}**

"Oui~!" I squeak. **{Yes~!}**

I play with his hair, fangirl squealing.

After I meet him, Issa goes to find Dimah, and the process repeats, and we learn that his sister's names are Vera and Alina.

I speak with Dimah.

While they are talking, Issa sits by the window.

It stopped snowing, and now the sun was shining, I note...

She zones out.

While she's staring into space, Alina goes up to her.

"Ty v poryadke?" She asks Issa, tilting her head off to one side.

When Issa doesn't respond, Alina climbs onto her lap and feels her hair.

Issa looks shocked for a second, then runs her fingers through Alina's long hair.

Issa looks as if she never would've imagined that she would've done this, and apparently, neither does Dimah or Vera.

"Kak vy znaete, doveryatʹ yeĭ?" They ask her.

"Um," I say. "They asked her how she knew to trust you."

"Oh. That's weird," Issa says back, now weaving strands of Alina's hair into a braid, feeling her do the same.

"D'you know what she first asked me?"

"Um...She was wondering if you were okay."

"Ah. I'm fine."

Dimah says something quietly.

"They say that Alina isn't usually like this," I translate.

"Huh," Issa says, finishing the braid.

Alina hugs her, and she cautiously hugs her back…why?

Issa starts to try to put Alina back on the ground, but she shakes her head and puts her arms around Issa's neck.

I smile a little, as does Issa..

Little kids are so sweet sometimes.

"Hey, Lauren," Issa says. "I think she likes me."

I laugh and translate for the older ones.

Dimah smiles while Vera comes and pats Alina's hair.

"'Good for you, sister!' She said." I translate.

Dimah, Vera and I talk for a little bit, and Issa holds Alina on her lap.

Soon, the child falls asleep, her head on Issa's shoulder.

It's so sweet… Oh, I think I may have a cavity now…or perhaps diabetes?

Noticing the cuteness, Vera wanders over and takes Alina, rocking her in her arms.

She asks something, and I translate it to, "Are you okay now?"

Issa nods. "Sp-..spasibo?" **{Th-thank you?}** Issa says, looking confident that she was saying the right thing.

**(A/N: Note to Memoranda: I'm not sure if you meant Lauren or Vera here. So I'm guessing Vera.)**

She nods at the correct usage of the Canadian/American look-a-like's Russian and smiles, humming the Tetris theme.

Issa suddenly stands and walks over to Dimah, holding her hand out in a 'let me see your hand' type of gesture.

He slowly puts his arm in her hand and Issa gingerly rolls up the sleeves.

I stare at the scars questioningly, but Issa looks at me, saying, "Can I go get medical help for him? Looks like he'll need stitches."

I nod and translate.

Dimah quickly tries to deny help, say that he's fine, but Issa shakes her head and pulls him to the hospital room, Vera (who was still holding Alina) and me following.

Issa gets Liechtenstein's attention.

"I think he need stitches. Can you...?" She trail off awkwardly as the girl nods.

"Yeah, it's no problem!"

Issa and I watch as Liechtenstein sanitizes some needles.

Dimah is edging away uncomfortably.

I laugh a little, saying, "I think he's afraid of needles."

Have at thee, needles, for I loathe you with a smoldering fervor…

I bite my thumb in thought, and mentally smirk, remembering Shakespeare…

I bite my thumb at thee, needles!

—Eth!

"Aw, come on, Lauren," Issa says. "Being afraid of needles is nothing to be ashamed about. I'm afraid of needles!"

I'm surprised at this.

After all she's been through…Needles?

Well, I'm not one to talk—I'm still afraid of the dark…

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. Just, he doesn't look like little things would scare him." I quickly say.

I believe that the fear of needles is mutual, though…

"Yeah. You'd think I'd only be afraid of the big stuff, too, considering all I've been through, but I hate needles with a burning passion."

Issa proceeds to place her hand on Dimah's shoulder, trying wordlessly to comfort him.

He doesn't look very reassured, though.

"Can you tell him that it doesn't hurt once it's numbed?" Issa asks to me.

I nods and translate.

"Ona govorit, eto ne bolʹno , kogda ona onemela" **{She says, it doesn't hurt once it's numb.}**

He nods, still cringing.

Dimah lets Liechtenstein approach him with the syringe full of painkiller.

He whimpers when she shoots the stuff in his arm, but thankfully, he doesn't unleash the Russian rage.

I sigh quietly, and mentally smile once more.

A Shakespeare song begins to recite itself in my head…

_Then sigh not so, but let them go,_

_And be you blithe and bonny,_

_Converting all your sounds of woe_

_Into Hey nonny, nonny…~_

Dimah sighs with relief when the stitches are done, and then shudders when he feels his arm.

"There, doesn't that feel better?" Issa asks him.

He shrugs after I translate.

Issa laughs.

He smiles a bit, and then exits with Vera and Alina.

Issa and I find the living room, and find a large, poofy couch to sit on…oh, Austrian furniture. X3

"Hey Lauren, can I rant to you for a minute?" Issa asks suddenly.

"Sure..." I stand and walk into the kitchen, returning a minute later with a pen and clipboard.

"Go 'head." I say…

AND CUE THE MUSIC!

**"I heard there was an anime**

**Called Hetalia, I watch it all day**

**And I know that you like it too, don't you?**

**It goes like this, the Allies, the Axis**

**The French pervert, meets England's fist**

**The Austrian composing Classical music..." Issa sang.**

**"Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah."**

We sing the chorus together, and then I clear my throat.

"So let me get this straight..."

"**Your fangirlism was strong but you never thought**

**That you'd get dragged into a dramatic plot**

**Germany and Japan overthrew you**

**Well, they tied you to a metal chair, they drugged you and they cut your hair**

**And from your lips they drew the Hallelujah?"**

Issa nods.

**"Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah..."**

Issa sighs slightly, and begins telling me her view on things that have happened…

"**Maybe I've been here before**

**I know this room, I've walked this floor**

**I almost died before I knew you…"**

[Flashback!]

_Issa glared at Germany as the blonde bound her hands and feet with tight, chafing rope._

"_**I've seen your flag on that bloodied arch**_

_**The world is not your victory march!**_

_**It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah!**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah**_

_**Hallelujah."**_

[End Flashback]

I smile slightly at the American girl, and scribble something on my clipboard…

"**Now is the time to let me know**

**Your feelings, deep inside, below**

**You're torn between Josh and Zack, I really know you**

**And I remember saving you**

**I'll tell you now, you saved me, too**

**Every breath we draw is Hallelujah." **

"**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah!"**

Issa smiles sadly at me, and begins telling her feelings of love to me as I go deep into my trademark Therapist-in-Need-of-Therapy™ mode..

She'd been torn between the two guys, this is true, and it hurt her.

She'd wanted to choose Zack, but Josh…how would he take it…?

I see these thoughts float in her eyes like an advertisement trailing behind an airplane.

"**I don't know what's watching from above**

**And all I've ever learned from love**

**Was that it sticks needles into you.**

**It's not a cry you hear at night,**

**It's not somebody who's seen the light,**

**It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah."**

"**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah."**

I nod and write another note on the paper attached to the thin wooden board.

"**You say you're in emotional pain**

**I barely even know their names**

**Think about it, what do they mean to you?**

**There's a blaze of love in every stare**

**They give to you, and each other, a glare**

**The holy or the broken Hallelujah…?"**

"**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah**

**Hallelujah."**

Issa is on the verge of tears as she looks at me, her sky-blue eyes narrowing slightly as she holds back the emotional waterworks.

She recalls fighting to keep Josh, Dimah and Harvey safe…

She recalls failing to do so.

She recalls the army she'd helped to gather…

And she recalls watching her three friends…allies…be taken away by that vile German.

"**I did my best, it wasn't much**

**I couldn't feel so I tried to touch**

**I'm telling the truth, why on earth would I fool you?**

**And I thought I'd lost my friends,**

**But now, I sit here, smiling in the end**

**With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah…"**

"**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah, hallelujah**

**Hallelujah…"**

By this point the tears had slipped unconsciously down Issa's face.

I tighten my scarf and flinch…

She'd just told me everything about her messed up life…

And we barely know one another.

Should I show her my neck?

What would happen if I did…?

My subconscious tells me to trust Issa, and I do…

I hug her tightly.

"Issa, do you know why I wear this scarf?" I ask, plucking at the end tentatively.

"...I'm going to guess it has something to do with Russia?" She responds, cracking a smile.

It slowly slips off her face when my somber expression is resolute.

"No, actually, it's because...Well, I'm supposed to be dead," I mutter.

She just laughs.

"I can't believe you'd joke about that...you almost had me fooled, Lauren-Chan!" Again, I don't smile.

Without a word, I begin unraveling my lovely yellow scarf…

Issa gasps and pales visibly at the horrible cut on my neck.

It was a thin but deep cut that went all the way across my throat.

Yellowish pus oozed out a little around the edges.

There were red marks around it, because I'd burned it to seal it...

"L-Lauren..." She whispers, terrified.

"I know," I say sheepishly, "You see, I'm here because I'm dead in Britain. I haven't the foggiest why I'm still breathing."

She hugs fiercely, tears dripping down her face and onto my shoulder.

I had to tell her.

She had to know.

"It's okay, Issa-sama. We're going to kick the wurst-lover's rear-end to Mars and give it back in a matchbox!" I assure her with a slight smile…

Just then, England walks in.

He stops short when he sees my uncovered neck, and he struggles to make a coherent sentence.

"What the bloody— No, I'm not even— Lauren, your neck!"

France walks in, laughing, "What is all of this commotion? Onhonhon—" He, too, stops short at the gruesome sight.

I scoff and flip both of them off, sending this message: SOD OFF, WANKERS.

I turn back to Issa.

"Thanks for listening," She smiles, wiping away a few stray tears.

I grin and nod before tackling France again.

Now…even I can't tell whom was laughing…France or myself?

**Hehehe, I just redid this because I felt like it.**

**Now it's not as much of a filler~! **

**Hehehehe~! X3 **

**If you review, Gilbird will deliver a message from Prussia to you! **

**So review, gosh-darn-it!**


	5. Last Canon, Where's the Cannon?

**Hi!  
>Chapter something-or-other is up!<br>I regret to inform you that this will be the last canon chapter of Lauren's Story.  
>From now on it will be flashbacks and shenanigans—or, in other words, fillers.<br>I don't own Hetalia, Harry Potter, or My Messed Up Life, which are all excellent things that I demand you go read.  
>They make you travel in time!<br>For every second you're reading, you go forward a second! :)  
>Hehe.<strong>

* * *

><p>I wake slightly from my Harry Potter dream, involving myself on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, flying high in the air...<br>My eyes open a bit…I hear a loud crash and I look around.

"Where's the cannon?" I ask.

"Just me, 'member?" Issa says—I can see her figure blurrily.

"Ah. Yes. When you see Flying Mint Bunny, tell him not to forget out tea-time is at four-thirty..." I inform her, pulling the blanket over my head.

I hear her giggle, but just quietly.

"Yeah, I'll tell him," She says through her laughter.

"Good...Dimah's invited..." I add, "C'mere. I wanna...tell ya somethin'..."

She wanders over.

'Kay, I'm here. What is it?"

I pull her closer.

"Dimah's kinda cute...Think I like 'im..."

Issa just laughs, pulling away.

"Very nice. I'm happy for you."

"Can you tell him that?" I ask her, slightly hopefully.

"No," She responds with a smile. "That requires knowing how to speak Russian."

"D'ya like...that—...that one kid with the eyebrows or that— that other dude?"

"I'm not here right now, please leave a message at the sound of the beep. *beep!*" She says after sighing…oh, I didn't know it wasn't her…quite a long answering machine, isn't it…?

"Mmkay, hi Issa! Bye Issa!" I chirp.

Suddenly the light actually hits my face.  
>I lose all recollection of the last ten minutes, and my head begins to ache from the sudden light.<p>

I groan.

"Why is it so bright?" I whine, tugging my blanket further over my head as I do so.

"You awake for real now?" Issa questions…

"Nngh...Yes...I talked in my sleep?" I mumble, moving my left leg slightly.

"Yep. You made a Harry Potter reference. Then told me to remind Flying Mint Bunny about your tea-time at four-thirty, and then you said that Dimah was invited," Issa informs me, "Remember any of that?"

"Nope. I never do. " I respond groggily.

"Hm. Well, I hope you and Dimah have a happy life together," She suddenly teases in a whisper, and I facepalm—I felt my face redden.

"Juuuust a little!" Issa draws it out lightheartedly.

"Ah, well. Not like you can tell him anyways," I realize while stretching, quite similarly to a feline.

"Wh-what time is it?" I question, through a yawn.

"I dunno. Seven-ish?" Issa made her guess. "People should be down soon."

Almost as soon as she said that, I heard footsteps.  
>England ambles in, yawning and wincing slightly because of the whip gashes on his chest, which had been stitched up yesterday.<br>He had changed into a clean white tee-shirt and a pair of red and blue checked pajama pants that had probably belonged to Austria at some point in time.  
>His golden-blonde hair was even more tousled from sleep.<p>

"Hey, England. You look better today," Issa comments.

He jumps, not noticing that we were awake until I spoke.

He looks at his attire and blushes. "Oh, good morning, girls, I'm sorry you have to see me like this!"

"It's okay!" I grin, "We're wearing PJ's too."

See, Miss Hungary had found some of her old pajamas from when she was a kid and let us borrow them.  
>Issa had put Zack's black sweatshirt over them.<br>Hungary had enough to fit all the boys, too.  
>We hadn't found Josie yet, so we assumed that she hid in a room again.<br>I don't blame her.  
>Losing a sibling was hard, I know that from experience…It must be even worse if it's a twin…<br>That mental connection that only appears inside the minds of twins…hmm.  
>Quite complicated, that is.<p>

I know that Issa must miss Zack, too…  
>I wonder what happened to the lad?<p>

"So, you're my country," I mutter, staring at his bushy eyebrows—and feeling slightly guilty for teasing him about them, "I never got the chance to talk to you yesterday."

"Oh, yes, that's right. So, just for the record book, I am England, but my human name is Arthur Kirkland. As I think you already know..." He says politely then trailing off into awkwardness.

Such social awkwardness is considered…adorable~!  
>However, surprisingly I resist glomping him.<br>It was probably because of his injuries, and mine, non?  
>NO!<br>I've been infected by the French!

"So, want me to make breakfast?" Issa asks, standing up and walking toward the kitchen without an answer.

"I don't think I'm the one to answer that, Issa. Oh, that reminds me," England says, turning back to me. "You saved me from insanity and I don't know your name."

I stand up, slouching slightly from sleep, "I'm Lauren. And just so you know, the only thing keeping me from fangirl-glomping you is the fact that you're hurt," I explain unblushingly as I settles with feeling his messy hair.

Haha…y'know, half of me expected England's character's last name to be something such as Potter, Turner, or Sparrow…  
>Also, a little interesting fact for the yaoi fangirls reading this: the first king of England in medieval history was named Alfred the Great!<p>

"...Oh... I now believe in this anime you talked about, Issa," Arthur calls, untangling my hands from his hair.

He has the classic, 'What the heck just happened?' expression on his face as he turns away. I silently have a fan-spasm in a fit of noiseless giggles as he does so.

Austria wakes up soon, and Issa gets permission to use his kitchen.

She makes French toast, but calls them 'Breakfast pastries' for England's sake.  
>A few minutes after she put the first one on the griddle, America stumbles in, still half-asleep, muttering, "I smell food..."<p>

She laughs and gives him the first one.  
>He almost falls asleep when he's eating them, but England slapped him on the head to keep him awake, from which he received a quiet, meek, "Owwie..."<p>

"So, Issa," England starts while Issa's cooking. "What happened since I...left?"

"Uh..." Issa mutters as she thinks, most of her attention on keeping the food from burning, "...I found out whose blood triggers the bomb...Does that count?"

"Yes! Whose blood? N-not—" England dropped his voice so the groggy man behind couldn't hear him. "—Not America's, right?"

Issa smiles at the British man's secret caring for his younger brother.

"No. It's Italy's. Which is bad, considering how attached he is to Germany. Don't worry," Issa adds as England's emerald eyes widened. "He's here. Took a while, though."

England sighs with relief.

"So, when did you learn Japanese? And why can't you seem to speak English anymore?"

"Um..." Issa says as she flips over a piece of toast. "A day or two ago, I don't really remember...and it's Japan's fault...His stupid translator gun broke before he could switch me back...Never thought he'd do this...then again, I didn't think Germany would, either...There's something wrong with them..."

"Kind of like Dark Japan," I finally supply my thought aloud as I claim some toast as my victim. "Maybe there's a Dark Germany, too. Like, they took over Light Japan and Light Germany...I don't think there ever would be a Dark Italy."

_HetaOni Italy was pretty dark…_ I think quietly after I speak…  
>I have a habit of saying one thing, thinking it through, and then thinking of something better—or more logical—to say.<p>

"I think there might be...Like the Italian Empire...Or was that just Rome...?" Issa wonders aloud.

"Ah, yes," England says as a look of remembrance crosses over his face. "I remember that. Gave me quite a bit of trouble. It was a good thing they didn't go out on the sea, or my pirates would have been crushed, with their fighting tactics."

I almost laughed, and I think Issa barely contained her own laughter.  
>England was glad that Italy didn't attack him?<br>I just can't picture that...

Canada and France appear next, followed with Hungary, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Russia, Dimah and his sisters, Harvey, and Josh, who was still limping.  
>Still no sign of Josie, which might've been to escape the awkward tension that came when Josh walked in…<p>

Josh hugged me when Issa gave him his food.

"_What did I do wrong? You keep ignoring me, and I don't even know what I'm doing to cause that." _He asks, in English.

Issa gently pries herself from Josh's embrace to go check on the French toast.

It didn't burn, I'd kept my eye on it…I, unlike my personification, can cook fairly decently.  
>Most of the time…<br>Everyone looks so grim today…  
>I MUST DIFFUSE THE TENSION!<br>FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY POWERS, ACTIVATE~!

"Nyaaah, Issa, I'm going to poke you!" I sing as I pokes her in the arm.

"You look down," I point out when she gives me a confused look.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry," She says, smiling and poking me back.

Suddenly a powerful moodswing overcomes me.  
>What if she tries to kill herself again?<br>What happens then?  
>Will I be able to stop her this time, if she does?<br>…

I wait until she has her hands free before dragging her into a corner where we could talk freely.

"Issa, you aren't planning on giving yourself up, are you?" I ask seriously.

"What? No, that's crazy! Why would I do that?" She laughs.

Such a fake laugh…I'm not convinced in the least.

"Truth, please. I need to know that you won't do it," I place my hands on my hips as I voice my demands.

"That was truth." She says.

My eyes narrow dangerously.

"Please, I'm telling the truth! I've made that mistake before, and I don't plan on doing it again," Issa cries, drawing an invisible 'X' over her heart to prove her point.

I glare at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was lying or not.  
>I look into her eyes—eyes tell the truth.<br>The pupils dilate (larger, not smaller) when someone is lying…  
>Nothing happens to the black dots.<br>I nod and pull her into a tight hug.

"I swear, Issa, if I find out you gave yourself up, I'm going to go to Germany, steal you, Zack, and your sister, and personally extract every last drop of blood from you, and that's a promise," I threaten when I let go.

Within minutes, my mood swing is gone and I'm random again.

I watch Italy bounce by, singing about pasta and most likely looking for the food.  
>I turn to the large, curtained window in front of me.<p>

"Isn't Switzerland so cute?" I whisper to Issa, bouncing on my toes while watching said nation shoot targets outside.

Oh, hush, I'm not like that…  
>I mean cute in the 'aww, look at that kitten chase the butterfly~' cute.<br>And, somehow, Switzie crosses me as that way…Hm.

Issa giggles.

"Calm down, girl. He's too old for you." This sends me into gales of laughter.

Suddenly, there's a commotion outside.  
>I could see Switzerland's green-clad figure run to the edge of the evergreens that started the forest in the background, followed closely by the pink of Liechtenstein's dress.<p>

"Hey..." Issa mumbles, tugging on my black sleeve, "Something's wrong..."

I nod, pulling on some snow boots while Issa does the same.  
>We run outside, the snow crunching under our feet.<p>

We make it to the row of pine trees, our breath fogging around us.  
>Our tracks mingled with Switzerland's and Liechtenstein's, but Switzerland's went further, into the woods.<br>Liechtenstein stood anxiously, and she jumped when she saw Issa.

"Oh, no, Issa, you need to go back in and hide!" she whispered urgently, flapping her arms at the girl.

"What? Why?" Issa asks.

Liechtenstein casts a scared look at the woods behind her, then turns to us again, "Brother thinks he saw Mr. Germany, Mr. Japan, and Mr. Italy back there."

"But that's not right!" I exclaim. "Italy's inside; I just saw him a few seconds ago!"

Liechtenstein nods, her purple ribbon bouncing with her movement. "That's what's so suspicious! Please, go back inside! What if it really is Mr. Germany?" She begs.

Issa nod, backing away a few steps before running back inside, and I follow her.

I can tell she really didn't want to be in here.

Without taking off her boots, she shuts the door after me and high-tails it to the window, her cheeks red from the cold—I look out with her, feeling suddenly empowered as I remember my visit to America…but that's another story...

We could just barely see Switzerland's outline wrestling a person out into the open.  
>Two other figures followed, trying to make Switzerland let go of their companion.<p>

Switzerland whips out his pistol, pointing it at the person with blonde hair tucked into a green cap. In answer, the person wearing a blue coat unsheathes a sword and pulls Liechtenstein close, holding it to her throat.  
>I notice that the person seems uncomfortable with her so close.<br>The red-haired person drew a gun and pointed it at Switzerland.  
>They all went still at the same time.<br>No one moved.

Except for Issa.

"Switzerland!" She calls as she runs out the door again, with me trying in vain to hold her back, "Stop!"

Switzerland doesn't turn, or even give a sign that he heard her, but the red-head pointed the gun towards her.

She put her hands up over her head to show that she's unarmed.

"Go back inside," Switzerland growls. "Now!"

"No! Take a look at them! This isn't Germany, this is a girl!" Issa protests, walking slowly forward, all too aware of the gun pointed at her chest.

The girl's cap had fallen in the snow, letting long, blonde hair tumble around her shoulders. Beneath a lumpy winter coat, her slim frame was obviously female, moving with her heavy breath intake.  
>Switzerland grunts, noticing this for the first time.<p>

"I'll let her go when you release my sister," he barks at the person with the blue coat.

The person had a black scarf wrapped around their face ninja-style, but large, intelligent brown eyes peered suspiciously at them.  
>The red-haired boy makes eye contact with the scarf person.<br>They both look at their trembling friend, and their eyes flicker to the pistol aimed at her head. Slowly, the sword comes down and Liechtenstein runs, clutching Switzerland's coat sleeve.  
>With everyone's weapons finally down, Issa walks slightly closer to the odd trio, who were silently checking up on their comrade.<p>

"Issa," I growl from my spot at the open door, still feeling slightly powerful…quite a strong memory, that is. "I am going to bloody kill you unless you get back here. Right. Now."

She looks at me with pleading eyes, "Please, Lauren. I just thought of something!"

I snarl, unpleased with her decision, but decide to stay put and make no move to stop her as she cautiously advances.

She looks at the group. "Is everyone alright?"

They stare at her.

"My name is Issa," Issa awkwardly continues. "That trigger-happy dude over there is Vash, his little sister Lilli, and my friend Lauren. Who are you?"

I give a small, unnoticed wave at the calling of my name…

The girl with the blonde hair stands up. "Sydney," she says.

"What're you doing, Syd?" the red-head gasps in an Italian accent, pulling on her sleeve.

"She stopped Guns. I say we trust her," she contradicts, jerking her coat out of his grasp.

"That's Alesso, but he'll kill you if you call him anything other than Alex," Sydney says, meaning the red-head, "And the quiet one is Rin." Rin bows respectfully.

"So, may I ask why you came here?" Issa inquires, mimicking Rin's bow.

"No," Alex snaps, finally placing his gun in its holster; it had been held loosely at his side before.

"Shut up, Alex, she's helping!"

I have to strain my ears to hear the next bit of the argument—

"How d'ya know she's helping? She could be one of _his_ spies!" Alex glares at Sydney, his voice lowering in anger.

"She's not! She could've let Guns kill me if she was a spy!" Sydney whispers back.

"Um, if it's any help to you guys," Issa call over their hushed arguing. "I'm not a spy."

"See? Saying you're not a spy just proves you are one!" Alex almost yells, pointing an accusing finger at my best friend.

"Are you a spy?" She asks, looking at him…heh, I see…

He scoffs.

"Of course not!"

Issa gives a nod in triumph.

"Okay. You're a spy."

Alex sputters indignantly, "Wha—? No, I'm not! I just told you that!"

"I just told you I'm not either," Issa replies coolly.

Alex glowers at her in defeat but remains silent.

"It's a long story," Sydney finally says in answer to Issa's question.

"Do you guys want to come in and warm up?" Issa offers, and adds "No, I won't try and kill you, and I'll make sure no one else does."

Alex grumbles, "Are you freaking kidding me?"

Sydney slaps him on the back of his head, much like I've seen England do to America…deserves it, too…git…

"Yes, that would be nice," Sydney says to Issa.

Switzerland looks at Issa in shock.

"Issa, what are you doing?"

"Making a plan," She says vaguely, leading the three into the house.

I stare at her. "It's okay," She promises me, yet I feel little comfort.

The three put their snow-soaked coats by the fire.  
>Rin finally takes her scarf off, revealing chin-length, jet-black hair and a kind face, although she nervously skitters away if we get too close.<br>Alex, his red hair wet, keeps his hand on his gun, almost as an empty threat.  
>Sydney, however, seems to have completely gained our trust, grinning and leaning back on the couch.<br>She had tied her wet hair up into a ponytail.

I watch the following conversation as I sit next to Issa, silent as the grave I should've been in by now…I tighten my scarf slightly as I feel it loosening.

"So...What's with, uh, Vash, you called him?" Sydney asks.

"Oh. For one thing, he loves his guns a bit too much. I think he attacked you guys because he thought you were someone else," Issa explains.

"Did you notice anything...weird about him?"

"No, not really. Why, did you?"

She nods. "And his sister. Are—...Are us three really the only ones who can sense them?"

This question brings Issa up short— "Them?" She asks, bewildered as I was.

"Syd, you'd better shut up," Alex warns in a low voice, "They could be bounty hunters, just like him."

"But how can they be bounty hunters if there's two here?"

"Two what?" Issa interrupts.

"Okay, you're going to think this is really crazy, but—" Alex cut angrily into Sydney's explanation. "Sydney, don't tell them any more."

"What if I tell you the crazy, messed-up story that brought me here?" Issa asks, "How I got this?" She add, running her finger gently over her cut.

They exchange silent glares, almost as if they're arguing in their heads.

Finally, Sydney says, "Yes."

"Okay, so this started about a week ago, at my school in Washington D.C.. Me and a boy named Josh were kidnapped and taken to Germany by...Well, there's no easy way around this. We were kidnapped by nations."

Sydney, Alex and Rin all visibly pale.

"N-nations? Y-you know about them?" Alex chokes out, his surly attitude dropped.

Issa nods. "Is that what you mean when you say you could sense them? You can sense a nation?"

Sydney hesitates, and then nods, "Yeah."

"So, they cut my hair to make me look like America. Oh, right, 'they' meaning Germany, Japan, and Italy. Then, they went out and took a girl from China, a boy from France, and another boy from Russia who all look like the countries they're from. Following me? I know this is pretty hard to understand," Issa says, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

"Course we are," Alex mutters. "We're not stupid."

"N-no, I didn't mean it like that, it's just, if it's this hard to explain, then I must not be doing a very good job retelling, 's'all," Issa explains.

"No, of course you didn't. Alex here—" Sydney whacked him on the head yet again. "— is just being rude. Please, continue."

So, Issa explains, and goes into detail about how Germany cut her, because she could plainly see that it interested them, Alex included…  
>I lean in on this bit, because it was pretty vague when she told me about it…hmm.<p>

"...and then, that's where we met. The end," She concludes.

They were all staring at her, their jaws slack.

Then, Alex asked in a way that wasn't his own, "There are really that many nations here in one place?"

"Yep. Like I said, Germany kind of caused this all."

"I can feel them...I thought it was so strong only because Guns touched me..." Sydney says softly in wonder, "You had called him Switzerland, right? And you said that I wasn't Germany."

"Yes, Vash is Switzerland and Lilli is Liechtenstein. At first glance, we thought you guys were the Axis."

"So, I look like Italy?" Alex thought aloud. "He's one sexy beast, then."

"Alex!" Sydney cries, smacking him on the head again.

I keep from snickering and settle with digging my face into my scarf and smirking.

Alex glares at Sydney. "You know, I'm going to have a bruise there someday."

"Whatever," Sydney says while rolling her eyes, which, I noticed, were the exact shade of Germany's. "Oh, right. Our story."

Sydney clears her throat and begins to talk.

"So, ever since we were born, we were best friends. We were drawn closer together by the people who mocked us. Stupid people, really. So, anyway, they were like that because one day, we had all felt the same shock run through us at once, but it's not like a static electricity shock because it hurt us until this man with a ponytail walked away. So, word of that got out, and when we were in sixth grade, this man came and abducted us. He told us that we were going to help him find the nations. So, we traveled a lot, and he used us like metal detectors, almost. He'd get all excited when we reacted, and he'd follow some man or woman after tying us to the nearest secluded pole, and then he'd come back and vent his anger out on us when they vanished. 'Venting', meaning he'd cut us or beat us up, or even burn us when he was really angry." Sydney explains while rolling up the sleeves of her black turtleneck to reveal a plethora of cuts, bruises, and shiny red burn marks, not unlike my own.

"That's why we kinda keep staring at your scar. The man— he never told us his name, and he used so many fake ones that we lost track— said there was one other who could sense them. She escaped, but he'd swear he'd find her because of the cut he left on her face."

I was in shock and I knew my mouth was hanging open.  
>Who would do such a horrible, vile, misguided, cruel and generally <em>evil<em> thing?  
>They all look so worn… the way a person could only look after years of abuse and starvation…<br>I know, I've seen movies.

"Okay, let me tell you this," Issa says as we both lean forward. "I'm going to make sure that this man is found and brought to justice. This place is really secluded and out of the way that only the nations know how to return here, unless they know what the front of the house looks like. Would you like to stay here while he's being hunted?"

Now it was their turn to be speechless.

Then, Rin spoke for the first time in a soft, innocent voice, "Y-you would do that for us?"

"Absolutely. But, you might be uncomfortable with so many nations here at once."

Alex whispers something in Sydney's ear.  
>She casts a glance at me and Issa, and then at her battered arm, and then at Rin and Alex.<br>They nod.

"Yes!" she exclaims, her voice lowering to a whisper in shock and relief.

They all look so happy to be free…  
>Rin is on the verge of joyous tears.<br>Sydney jumps onto the seat between Issa and Iand throws her arms around both of us.  
>Even Alex grins like a mad man.<p>

Suddenly, they pause and shudder as one. "They're close..." Sydney says.

"I sense Maple, Hamburgers, Tea, and Roses," Alex comments, closing his eyes.

"Sunflower, Pasta, Piano, Guns, Ribbon, and Frying Pan are close, as well," Rin quietly supplies. "Panda is far, but getting closer."

"You named all the countries?" I ask.

"Yes. When one gets close, something about them kinda bounces back to us. Like, the first time it happened, we all just wanted to cuddle a panda, for some strange reason. Even Alex."

"That's so cool! Which one is strongest right now?" I ask excitedly.

"Um...Maple," Sydney says.

Almost as if he was cued, Canada walks in.  
>He is wearing his red maple leaf hoodie and blue jeans, the bottoms of which tucked into tan boots.<p>

"Whoa..." I mutter, mouth open once more.

Canada jumps, suddenly aware of all the eyes on him.

"Wh-what did I do?" he stutters, uncomfortable.

"Nothing," Issa says quickly, most likely to avoid questions.

Canada turns around and walks away in the direction he came, throwing careful looks at Sydney, Alex, and Rin.  
>When he's gone, the trio relaxes.<p>

"Does it hurt?" Issa inquires curiously.

"It's kind of like something's heating you gradually, and the parts of you that aren't warm yet turn freezing cold. It's not very pleasant, but it doesn't hurt that bad," Alex explains, "I'm sorry I treated you the way I did earlier. It's just, sometimes, you've gotta be paranoid or you'll die."

I make a little 'feh' sound, closing my eyes to secretively roll them, but I trust them a bit nonetheless.

"It's alright," Issa forgives, "I can kinda relate. When I was kidnapped, I didn't accept food the whole time I was there. They've drugged me once, and I'd rather not let them do it again."

Then I remember my trip to the dentists…I hate that blasted man. **(No offense to dentists! D: …But it's kind of true. Their gloves don't taste good, and if they're going to pry around your mouth, why don't they give it cherry flavor or something?)**

"I've been drugged once," I chime, "At the dentist. It was the only way they could check my teeth."

They laugh at my comment, and I pout slightly...  
>For a moment, we were all best friends, not a care in the world.<br>Issa smiles, laughing too, but then it vanishes and she shakes her head slightly.

"Hey," She asks suddenly, "Have you felt anything that has to do with either beer or wurst?"

"Oh, you mean Potato-head?" Sydney inquires.

"Yeah."

"I think I felt him when we got closer to here. Sushi was with him. But, as we got closer, they got farther."

I look at Issa, panic-stricken. "Germany and Japan were here? Wh-what for?"

"Josie," Issa suddenly says, with a tone of disbelief.

"What?" I ask, still worried—even moreso with her new look of panic—but she's gone.

I see Alex also watch Issa fling herself out of the room.

"So...She does this often?" He asks, turning to me.

I sigh.

"Think so. I've only been here since yesterday, myself."

"Oh, yeah? Who's hunting you?"

Sydney slaps his head…  
>Again.<p>

Glaring at her in annoyance, Alex asks, "Are you going to do that after everything I say?"

"Only if it's rude or if it bugs me," She replies, hitting him yet again.

"No one's hunting me," I respond dully, fiddling with the yellow scarf around my neck. "I just stopped Issa from doing...something bad."

Suddenly the three of them get goose-pimples—or goosebumps, whatever you call them—and then they shiver, and little beads of sweat form on their foreheads—and the cycle repeats.

"Panda's here," Alex announces, but Sydney and Rin look as if they already know.

The door is knocked on, and I jump up to answer it.

The person at the door seems stunned by me, and the way I can fluently speak Chinese…ha, it always does!  
>When we enter, it looks like there are two copies of one person.<br>They are both relatively short with twinkling hazel eyes and black ponytails.  
>But, looking closer, one would notice that the smaller one is female, and shaking liberally.<br>This girl, though, doesn't make the three react.

More of the nations begin to enter the room as China and Jia Li stand, one firm, the other still shaking.

The three guests—or are they part of Team Issa now?—shiver, sweat, and repeat.

"O~kay, let's get you guys away from here..." I say, helping them stand—they look rather woozy, so I kept them steady as I lead them into a different room.

After a bit of walking their cycles stop, leaving them with sweaty foreheads and goose pimples.

"Feel better?" I ask them.

They nod.

"That must be hard, not being able to hug them. They're fun to make uncomfortable. England gets so easily flustered…" I remark, grinning and staring off into space—I remember something I did yesterday, but that, also, is another story completely…Hm.

"So, was that Pasta? Oh, I mean Italy?" Sydney asks, looking at my profile.

"Yep. He's kind of..." I pause in search for the right word, "Er—spacey."

"Complete opposite of Alex," Sydney mumbles, "He notices everything."

"While you're here, letting every detail slip past," Alex teases, fake glaring.

Sydney responds by sticking her tongue out at him.

"So, how long have you guys been running?" I ask, observing them closely.

"Um...about three weeks," Alex mutters thoughtfully.

"Where have you been sleeping?" I go on.

"Alleyways, forests, places like that. Can't really be out in the open for too long. You'd be caught really quick."

"When's the last time you've slept?" I ask, not bothering to mask my concern.

"We took turns. I think Rin's been up longest," Sydney says, wrapping her arm around said girl.

Rin did look rather tired; she had purple circles around her eyes…circles that mark insomnia.  
>Circles not unlike my dear Faith's…Another story, yet again.<br>I stare at the three, my memories of home in England (that sounds awkward…) coming back to me.  
>My mum…dad…my friends…am I still there, physically?<br>After a silent moment, I plow through a door, and clear my throat, muttering, "C'mere. You guys need some rest."

I lead them into the room Arthur previously occupied—the hospital room.  
>I hate the room, but I need to care for my new friends…allies?<br>I like 'friends' better…  
>The sterile scent of the room assaults my senses and I internally wince.<p>

I hate doctors…  
>When someone dies because of failed surgery, or lack thereof, they barely blink.<br>They express fake concern, give well-practiced condolences and comfort you with empty words.  
>People find them necessary…why?<br>They rarely ever care when your sister doesn't pull through that vile evening…  
>Yet another memory…<p>

"Wha—?" Mumbles Alex, which breaks me from my thoughts.

"You think I was going to let you guys go without medical help after the way you've been treated?" I ask, giving a comforting smile as I go through the motions I'd gone through several times at camp…I was assistant nurse, so hush...

"Thank you...Thank you so much," They seem in silent awe, for some reason, and the only thing they could say was repeated.

I wave off their thanks, saying, "It's no problem, don't worry!"

With new bandages, I lead them to a different room. "Do you guys want separate rooms?"

Rin immediately jumps and clings to both of them.

"No thanks," Sydney explains for Rin's reaction.

"Okay! I think I'm going to share this room with Issa tonight, if you need either of us," I tell them, pointing to the room next to theirs.

"I'm pretty sure that there's stuff in there that you might need, like clothes and such. Now, I'm going to go look for Issa and kill her for running away like that. Bye!" And with that, I exit, leaving the trio to their trio-ness.

I wander around for a while, looking for something to do—until I spot Austria's piano.  
>It was so beautiful…the midnight-black painting, the small details and curves…<br>I wonder if Austria would get mad at me for playing it…?  
>Maybe, but I'll risk it.<p>

I sit in front of the beautiful instrument and set my fingers on the keys, beginning to play _Requiem for a Dream_.  
>When I finish that, I play Chopin, and then the <em>Harry Potter<em> theme…  
>Then I play <em>'This Is Halloween'<em> from the American movie that I loved as a child.

By this point, Russia and Dimah had wandered in.  
>Russia looked thoroughly entertained—maybe even entranced—by the eerie piano music I'd chosen to play.<p>

"That is very good," Dimah says in Russian.

"Thank you," I say, unfocused and turning red in the face.

I lose my finger placement and mess up, landing in a sour note—Russia frowns a bit and his eyes widen, the kolkolkol laughter beginning to exit his mouth.  
>I flinch when I see the purple aura…<br>I begin again from where I left off and kept playing without another mistake, seeing as I was near the end of the song already.  
>Russia stopped kolkolkol-ing, and I smiled, brushing my long bangs back to their place on the right side of my head.<br>They're side-swept and streak-less…but anyway, onward.  
>I stand and bid my goodnight to the clones, and go to bed, after polishing the piano keys with a rag I found nearby.<p>

I take off my now-ragged green shirt and my jeans, and slip on the black tank-top with a storm cloud on it, a lightning-bolt shooting out from it and glowing green.  
>I pull the lightning-bolt pajama shorts on and stretch with a yawn, removing my scarf, and flopping onto the little mattress I'd made myself.<br>Issa deserved the bed for all she'd been through…

Speak of the devil—no, scratch that, speak of the Issa—and she will appear…  
>She looked a bit scared, however, and her hair was fuzzed up a bit.<p>

"I can't find Josie!" She nearly shrieked, breathless.

I feel a bit of surprise, and several explanations shoot through my mind.

"Maybe she's just out for a walk and didn't tell anyone? You know, to escape awkward tensions between Josh and herself." I explain.

Issa ponders this for a moment before nodding, calming down a bit and also putting on her own pajamas—a red, baggy shirt and some red-and-black checkered flannel pants.

"How can you wear summer clothes? It's the middle of winter!" Issa exclaims, noticing my shorts and tank top.

"My body temperature has always been weird…hey, it's my body, right? Finally, the appearance reflects the madness within…" I say, quoting professor R.J. Lupin, third Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in the Harry Potter series.

Issa catches the joke and laughs, a short, ragged laugh as I pull a book from a shelf within arms reach.  
>Surprisingly it's in English— <em>The Hobbit<em>, it was called.  
>Oh, that title brings back memories…<br>Issa and I read for a while, and discuss our plans for tomorrow, blissfully unaware of the events in Germany.  
>We keep talking until we fall asleep.<p>

Issa sleeps normally while I have my legs crossed at the ankles, and my arms crossed over my chest, in a sort of protective way—I'll get into that some other time, but for now, let me sleep.  
>It's been a long day and when a girl needs sleep, she needs sleep…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>So, some of you may have heard by now that Memoranda has ended 'book one' of My Messed Up Life.<br>This is not the case for myself, and for a while, this will all be random events that have happened in Lauren's past, and a few shenanigans she gets into while occupying Austria's home.  
>I won't be updating much, because of technical difficulties, but when I do, the chapters will hopefully be long and as amusing to you as they are to me to write.<br>So, until next time, I bid you adieu.  
>Adios.<br>Sayonara, ciao, do svidanya, etc. **


	6. Karaoke, Tears and Therapy

_**You're a diamond that shines, one of a kind  
>A shimmering, radiant star~!<br>You're a flower in the rain, wonderfully made  
>You shine like the sun, you're a diamond!<strong>_

**If you can guess what that song is, and who it's by, you will receive one free one-shot of your choosing. :D  
>It's an old song, and stuff…<strong>

I don't own Hetalia, or any of the music you see in this chapter!  
>ALSO! Memoranda is my awesome buddy-sistah, so I'm letting her have a little fictional POV here. :3<br>It's kinda like a present or something… o3o  
>Anyway, she wrote out a PM for me to post, and I added it in here, so yeah…<br>I don't own that either.  
>Just Lauren (who is me! Wait…IT'S OKEY, I'M AMERICAN~!) and her shenanigans.<br>So, all in all, this chapter is 90% random POVs, like how her friends and family are taking Lauren's 'death' or disappearance.  
>She's really dead in the UK, just not Austria.<p>

**IMPORTANT NOTE: The messages that Memoranda has provided for the chapter below are purely, completely fictional. She did not cut her shoulder, she's fine, I swear. **

* * *

><p><strong>Surrey, England<br>5:34 PM  
>Authoress POV<strong>

* * *

><p>Mary Cohen sat, engulfed in tears, near the white carpet that had been stained red.<br>The woman's normally gentle, light, curly brown hair was a greasy mess now.  
>Her blue eyes were forever red and puffy from tears.<br>She and her husband, Thomas, had found the suicide note written—well, typed—by their daughter.  
>It was the day after the funeral, in which they'd agreed to send their beloved child off by river at dawn.<br>They'd worn yellow, a cheerful, bright color in spite of the dark occasion, as they'd done for their second-born daughter.  
>Nothing could mend them, nor their son Benjamin.<br>Nothing could mend Laurie, nor her husband, Timothy.

Nothing could mend their baby's best friends, Rose, Tenshi, or Shoshanna.  
>They were a broken mess, shattered pieces of who they were once again.<br>When they thought they'd healed, it happened again—they'd lost a life.

Thomas Cohen walked into their lost daughter's room, and sat next to his wife.

"I feel…I feel as if there's a void, or…or a black cloud…I want so badly to get out…" Mary gushed when her tears had calmed.

"Don't talk like that, dear. We'll make it through…we know where she is…" Thomas tried to stay strong for his wife, but alas, his chocolate eyes filled with tears and he began sobbing as well.

"I miss her…why did she go?" Mary asked, as they stared at the crimson bloodstain on the carpet.

To this Thomas had no answer, and somehow he knew he never would.

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in the United States<br>Three days ago  
>Memoranda POV<strong>

* * *

><p>No, no, no, this couldn't be happening.<br>This wasn't happening, I refuse.  
>Lauren wasn't dead.<br>She wasn't.  
>She COULDN'T be.<p>

I fly into my room and switch on my laptop, typing furiously on a PM to her. This is what it said:

_Lauren? I heard some really weird rumors today. You posted a poem that said you had killed yourself. That's not true, right? I still have so much to tell you! I need your help! You would've told me if you were planning suicide, wouldn't you?_

I click send, and wait for her usual fast reply.  
>I wait for far too long, checking every few minutes.<br>I cried myself to sleep for two nights by my computer.  
>When I woke up the next morning, I sent another message.<p>

_Lauren, please, please answer me! Lauren, I cut myself a few nights ago, and I need your advice. Please, please, please!_

It was true; I was nursing one deep cut across my shoulder, where no one could see it.  
>I didn't want to.<br>It just... happened.  
>And what scared me was the fact that I want to do it again.<br>I'm not sure if that's really what I want, and it confuses me so much.  
>I need to talk to Lauren.<br>I need to know that she's okay.

_Lauren, please respond. I need you. I want to help you, too. You've helped me so much, and I want to return the favor. We can help each other. Please. You can't just die. Please._

I check continually for about an hour, and then cry again…  
>Finally, when I calm down about ten minutes later, I earned a headache and a near heart-attack.<br>Lauren had replied.

_Mem…no. Why'd you do it? I know that's a stupid question—I'm legally and technically dead, for Finland's sake—but seriously. … I'm alive. I'm in Austria…don't ask why…technically I'm dead, but…please. Tell me why you cut yourself? … It wasn't a razor, was it? You know, they only cut you when you don't want them to… o3o Sorry, no humor in this message…anyway, the poem was true. I did kill myself. But somehow, some way, I'm breathing (If I wasn't I couldn't be replying) and thanking every deity I can think of that I learned German… Message me back when you see this. I'll be checking and if I don't get a reply, I'm stopping your weekly Canada supply….I _

_HAVE MAH WAYS! :P Okay, no more comic relief for real this time. Please, please don't cut yourself again…it can end so, so badly…I know, trust me. I'm still here for you, I promise. As long as I have an internet connection and am of sound body and (almost) sound mind, I'll be here to be your personal psycho…logist. Right. Psychologist… I lied, more comic relief~!_

I am stunned.  
>My eyes flicker over the message a second, third and then fourth time.<br>This is so much to process...  
>Lauren is dead.<br>But she's alive.  
>And in Austria.<br>I jerk my fingers and mess up the first part of the message, but don't bother to fix it.

_Yksshshfhfrsshshsjfpkgqac Waht? Lauren, I dont freakng care why I did it, I  
>care about why YOU did it! Why the maple are you in AUSTRIA? Yourmmum is<br>freakig out because she thnks youre dead. How did you sneak all the way to  
>Austria, where did you get a repilca of yourself? Lauren, please come back! We need you here!<br>It was a pair of scissors. The fancy hair cutting type. I only used one side  
>and held it like a knife. <em>

I click send after adding, " _Why would you stop sending me mah Canadian  
>hunk? O^O<em>"

I keep on checking, and in about fifteen minutes, the shortest message in a while appeared on my computer screen:

_*Grammar Nazi* *what *freaking *Your mum (XD) *freaking (Again) *thinks *you're *replica *hair-cutting. Now, if I tell you the truth, you'll be put at serious, life-and-death risk. D'you still want me to tell you?_

My fingers typed out three letters and a period. and I hit send.

_Yes._

Several minutes later, Lauren's reply came, and I nearly fainted.

* * *

><p><strong>Vienna, Austria<br>5:34 PM  
>Lauren POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I bounced around the sitting room happily, looking this way and that, and grinning widely.<br>Italy was making pasta for lunch—I had asked him, and he agreed simply because it was pasta—France was off being French somewhere.  
>England was in the study, sipping tea and reading, and the others were somewhere else.<br>I get bored quickly and turn the TV on, and find the international channels among the German ones—I see 'Surrey News at Five' on the screen and click on it.

The brown comb-over of the handsome anchorman greeted my eyes as I watch him read from a paper.  
>His words strike me deeply.<p>

"On a much sadder note, Penny, I'm afraid to report that the Cohen family has lost yet another daughter, to her own hand. Young Lauren Cohen was found dead, throat slit in her bedroom, a blade in her hand. Here's the suicide note, posted on the international story-writing website dubbed ''."

I watch as my note does, in fact, appear on the screen.

"One can only hope that the family stays strong after yet another tragic loss. Back to you, Penny."

My eyes begin welling with tears and I stand up immediately.  
>I look for Austria, or Hungary, whoever I ran into first—I need to find a computer.<br>Eventually I crash (literally) into Hungary, whom was walking down the stairs at the time, and fall to the ground.

"Oh, dear! Lauren, are you alright?" She asks, and helps me up, and I thank her.

"Yeah, I'm fine…are you okay?" She nods, so I continue, "Do you have a computer I could borrow?" She nods again, and I grin.

"Yes, follow me!" She chirps and begins walking back upstairs.

I follow her and she gives me a slightly old-looking laptop, which I give my thanks and sit down to begin typing.

"Internet Explorer…. Email…" Here I mumbled, as I did with my password, "…Log in…Fifteen private messages…?"

I clicked on the first one, from my friend, Memoranda—actually, it was a series of messages, three, at least— and read them aloud.

_Lauren? I heard some really weird rumors today. You posted a poem that said you had killed yourself. That's not true, right? I still have so much to tell you! I need your help! You would've told me if you were planning suicide, wouldn't you?_

_Lauren, please, please answer me! Lauren, I cut myself a few nights ago, and I need your advice. Please, please, please!_

_Lauren, please respond. I need you. I want to help you, too. You've helped me so much, and I want to return the favor. We can help each other. Please. You can't just die. Please._

This brought tears to my eyes, and I wiped them away, and clicked on the other messages.  
>Most of them were condolences ("I cried while writing this, I miss Lauren and I hope you are all doing well"), but two—just two more, from my friends Rose and Tenshi—that I started crying, and chuckling in Rose's case, because of—met my eyes.<p>

_Rose of Rage wrote: NOOOOOOOO! Your funeral was awesome…I cried five times…I just can't win, can I? First I lose my uncle, then you? LIFE SUCKS POMPELEFOOMFOOMFOOMPHS! DX I miss you soooo much and I wish you'd come back, please…_

_1TenshiXnoXFashion8 wrote: Sometimes I really sit down and think about how bad my life was, is, and will most likely be. Something about it doesn't piece together…why'd you do it, Ren? You had…so much good in your life…What drove you over the edge like this? I know it's pointless to write this message, and I know it'd be your parents reading this anyway, but I feel like I need to tell you this: you're one of the few people I feel like I could actually trust, and now that you're gone, I don't know what I'll do. I miss you so much…_

I clutched my scarf and sobbed into it, turning the sunflower-yellow into a dark, ochre-yellow color.  
>I can't take this…I need to message them back.<br>What, and put _them_in danger, too?

They wouldn't be in danger, Germany doesn't know that I'm here, nor that I'm Issa's ally…he'll find out, but for now, I'm safe…  
>Until then…<br>My fingers fly over the keys of the computer as I type out my replies.

_Thanks for that. I'm not dead, though, I'm in Austria…don't ask how it happened. I don't know, myself… I miss you too, Rose. Heh, weinerschnitzels would be closer to what life sucks, if you get what I'm saying… I miss you a lot, but I can't tell you my pinpoint location. I can only tell you a little bit…I'm trapped between a friend and a psychotic German. That's all…I wish I could see you…I miss you lots! Oh, and remember not to let meemaw near sharp objects. She'll go Rambo Granny on us… XD _

I began my other reply after sending Rose's, remembering the 'Rambo Granny' joke...

_I know your problems inside and out, Ten, you've spent the last six years telling me all about them, remember? I did it because I couldn't take my life anymore. Something kept me alive, though—gave me a new body, a new life…and a new friend, named Issa. I'm in Austria, but here's the thing: I'm in serious trouble. Well, not me specifically, not until a certain wurst-lover finds out… Nevermind, I can't get you into all this mess with the information I provided so far, but even a peep more and we'll get into big trouble. I miss you, too. Be careful out there…I'll message you soon. And don't bother telling anyone, because there's still a slim chance that I'm putting both of us, and Rose, in deep trouble just by sending this to you. Stay strong, I'll see you again someday, I promise…Lauren is OUT. PEACE. :P_

I chuckle through my tears and begin my message to Memoranda.

_Mem…no. Why'd you do it? I know that's a stupid question—I'm legally and technically dead, for Finland's sake—but seriously. … I'm alive. I'm in Austria…don't ask why…technically I'm dead, but…please. Tell me why you cut yourself? … It wasn't a razor, was it? You know, they only cut you when you don't want them to… o3o Sorry, no humor in this message…anyway, the poem was true. I did kill myself. But somehow, some way, I'm breathing (If I wasn't I couldn't be replying) and thanking every deity I can think of that I learned German… Message me back when you see this. I'll be checking and if I don't get a reply, I'm stopping your weekly Canada supply….I HAVE MAH WAYS! :P Okay, no more comic relief for real this time. Please, please don't cut yourself again…it can end so, so badly…I know, trust me. I'm still here for you, I promise. As long as I have an internet connection and am of sound body and (almost) sound mind, I'll be here to be your personal psycho…logist. Right. Psychologist… I lied, more comic relief~!_

Almost as soon as I'd finished sending my messages, I get a reply from Rose.

_OMG LAUREN YOU'RE ALIVE *glomps!* OMG YOU'RE SERIOUSLY IN AUSTRIA! Hehe, that sounds wrong… moo! THE CREEP! …Psychotic German? Germany? Lol jk, Germany's an anime character lol! Hehe, I won't! MESSAGE ME BACK GIRL, I MISSED YA! :D_

I grin and sniffle, wiping my tears away as my crying stops.  
>They know I'm okay…for now.<br>I wander around the mansion for a while, played hide and seek with Italy, discussed sunflowers with Russia, had tea with England, and just kind of did normal Lauren things…  
>Oh, and I made a panda mosaic with China and Jia Li. :3<br>Something felt wrong, though…I don't know what, but it does…

I sigh, and go back upstairs to check my PM box again.  
>One new message from Memoranda…<br>My heart begins thumping in my chest, and nervously, I click on the little blue letters, and watch as the screen displays the 200+ past messages we've exchanged.  
>I scroll down…this computer is rather slow…down…down…<br>There it is!

_Yksshshfhfrsshshsjfpkgqac Waht? Lauren, I dont freakng care why I did it, I  
>care about why YOU did it! Why the maple are you in AUSTRIA? Yourmmum is<br>freakig out because she thnks youre dead. How did you sneak all the way to  
>Austria, where did you get a repilca of yourself? Lauren, please come back! We need you here!<br>It was a pair of scissors. The fancy hair cutting type. I only used one side  
>and held it like a knife. <em>

I keep myself from crying and scan the message again…  
><em><br>"It was a pair of scissors…"_

"…Your mum is freaking out because she thinks you're dead…"

Why, Mem?  
>I feel tears fall down my face and onto my scarf…<br>Then I catch the end—

_Why would you stop sending me mah Canadian hunk? O^O_

I give a laugh that came out as a sob.

"W-what's wrong?"

I turn around abruptly at the quiet, timid voice, and come face-to-face with Canada himself.  
>I gasp and nearly fall out of my chair.<br>When did he get here!

"N-nothing's wrong…just a bit of a hiccup from my friend…she's in some emotional trouble, nothing to mind, I'm helping her…"

Canada looked slightly worried.

"…But…"

"Spit it out, then, go on!" I say when Canada keeps on stuttering.

"But you're kind of crazy, too!" He blurts, and I sigh.

"I know…but sometimes crazy with crazy makes sanity…" My words most likely didn't make sense to Matthew, but if three rights make a left, then crazy + crazy = sane.

Canada shrugs and leaves, leaving me to my message.  
>I need some cheering up…<br>To YouTube!  
>I grin as I rapidly type in my playlist of American and Japanese songs.<p>

_World is Mine_, Hatsune Miku…  
><em>Dig It<em>, Holes soundtrack…  
><em>Ghostbusters<em>, Ray Parker, Jr. …  
><em>Sweet Sacrifice<em>, Evanescence…  
><em>Scene &amp; Herd, <em>Relient K…  
><em>Who We Are<em>, Red…

"Sekaii de, ichii-ban ohime-sama! Sou yu…~" I sing in Japanese, happily.

"With broken hands and weathered souls, emancipated from all you know, you got to go dig those holes!" I change the song and the beat and sing in English.

"Who you gonna call?" Ghostbusters!

"You poor, sweet, innocent thing! Dry your eyes and testify~!" This song helps me calm down when I'm angry at someone…

"So here it is, it's just me; a different drummer, but the same ol' beat; it seems like everything's gonna be just fine, cause I'm having a good time~!" This song helps my emotional issues as well…

"We can be who we are, now we are alive! We can fight, they cannot contain us! It's who we are, we are undying! We are FOREVER!" I belt out the lyrics that fit Issa's predicament rather well…

This gives me an idea, and I close the computer and take off to Issa's and my shared room.  
>I throw everything onto the floor, arrange it neatly, collect objects and complete tasks for my plot, and go to find Issa.<br>She's standing outside, kicking at the snow and just kind of acting like a child.  
>I see her begin rolling up a snowball, and making the beginnings of a snowman, and giggle as I put on some boots and go outside with her.<p>

"Issa!" I call out, and she jumps up, grinning.

"Oi, Lauren! Come over and play in the snow!" She says, and I smile.

It's amazing how strong she is…  
>Being in this sort of situation, a near prisoner of war, would crack most people…<br>Not Issa.  
>She's tough…<br>I throw a snowball at her.

"C'mon! I've something to show you!" I say, dragging her back inside—she goes limp and makes it complicated to drag her.

"Nyu…Mr. Snowy!" She cries with mock-anguish.

We go upstairs, into our awesome room, and she gasps.

"Welcome to Laurenia~! The nation for girls who are in dire need of normal teen girl activities, such as sleepovers." I explain, and a grin crosses her face.

I printed out a bunch of pictures of celebrities and stuff and taped them to the wall, and arranged all the mattresses and blankets to make a half-circle around the laptop that Hungary'd been letting me use, and found an old stereo system.  
>Austria will chew my head off for this, but Issa needs it.<br>I grin at her, and perform jazz-hands.

"Tada~!" I sing, and she begins to laugh, then I dive for the computer and open it.

I go to my online email system and open some old, archived files that I'd saved—videos of concerts, random things that my friends and I made…memories in general.

"What's Rambo Granny?" Issa questions, and points to a file reading 'RAMBO GRANNY!' in bold letters.

I begin laughing and click on it, opening the media player for the computer and watching it load.  
>Suddenly a very short, hunched-over brunette girl appeared on the screen.<p>

_Her hair was up in a bun, and concealed by a rounded, feathery hat with two red ribbons sticking out of the back.  
>She wore a purple, knitted dress and a large pearl necklace, and held a pink handbag close to her chest.<br>She looked away from the camera, when suddenly—_

"_Meemaw, can I borrow some money?" A slightly whiny, high-pitched voice with a British accent questioned._

"_Why d'you need to borrow money?" 'Meemaw' snapped in a raspy, 'Southern' accent, looking briefly at the camera._

"…_Because…" The British accent said, in an even higher voice than before, sounding nervous._

"…_Cuz why?" Meemaw snapped again, looking up for a split second and then bringing her head back down._

"…_Because I need to bail Peepaw outta jail!" The voice now identified as a younger version of myself shouted._

_The 'Meemaw' character began sauntering toward the camera, and smiled slightly._

"_Here's what I think of—ROAR!" 'Meemaw' shouted, whipping a little grey object from her handbag—a cell phone—it made a loud shotgun noise, and younger-me shook the camera as the noise became repetitive, like a machine gun._

"_RAMBO GRANNEH! Don't mess with me!" Meemaw shouted, flipping the round hat off her head to reveal a red cloth tied around her forehead, like the character from the American movie series, _Rambo_. _

By this point, Issa was laughing hard…  
>I was, too, and felt kind of sad as I changed the video—the 'Meemaw' was played by my friend, Rose.<br>She was born American, but moved to England with her older sister, Shoshanna, when they were young.  
>They never lost their American accents, however, and that made me kind of happy—until I visited New York, where I heard about <em>Ghostbusters<em>.  
>Then I was extremely happy.<p>

Either way, I jumped up and grinned.

"Hey, Issa-chaaaan! Let's have a karaoke contest with all the nations~!" I sing loudly, and she agrees.

"Okeh! Let's go round 'em up!" She says.

I snicker.

"My friend Rose would've said something French…in the mental sense of the word, of course, she only knows 'hello' in French…" I mutter.

"What would she have said?" Issa asks, sounding both curious and a bit timid.

"…Oh, something like 'save a horse, ride a cowboy…' She was so strange…" I giggle, and Issa turns red.

Maybe it was because cowboys are usually associated with America, and as far as I know, America and Zack are clones?

Nah.

I stand and help her up, grinning as I tighten my scarf enough to keep my cut hidden.  
>It didn't hurt as bad now…<br>This thought brings me to Memoranda.  
>Why…?<br>She seemed so strong…  
>I shake my head, figuring to answer her after rounding everyone up.<br>The first person we found was China.

"Oi, China! D'you sing?"

"Sometimes, aru… why?" The nation asked suspiciously, and I grin widely.

"Me and Issa are putting together a karaoke contest! We want you to be in it! Please?" I add, giving him the puppy pout.

He falters for a moment before replying, "…Alright, fine, aru…"

I give him a bow, which he returns, and then Issa and I go to find the others.  
>Most of them were actually gathered in the living room—Austria, England, France, America, Italy and Russia.<p>

"Oi! Everyone, let's have a karaoke party!" I chirp, grinning and flailing my arms.

"Hmm…Onhonhonhon~ alright, cherie, as long as you're my prize~" France purred, and I glance at Arthur, with a 'help me, you're my country, I demand it' look.

He throws his book at the back of France's head, and the European nation flies dramatically out of the room, whining about how "ze black sheep messed up my _magnifique_ hair!"  
>I suppress a giggle and voice my thanks to my country.<p>

"Dude! Let's totally have a karaoke thing! I'll be awesome!" America shouts, fist-pumping.

England, Issa, Austria and I facepalm simultaneously, and I chuckle.

"…The git is right, it would be stress-relieving, I suppose…" Arthur agrees.

I grin.

"Ve~ A singing contest would be wonderful~! I'mma sing about PASTAAA~!" Italy shouted, and I chuckle again.

Everyone else either immediately or stubbornly agreed (we threatened Austria with having America play his piano while eating a hamburger with extra ketchup and mustard) and finally, everyone had gathered in my room, except for…

"Where's Canada?" Issa questions.

"Who?" The chorus rang out, and I felt the vein pop on my head as I log back onto Fanfiction, and Issa goes to find Canada.

_Okay, then. I'll most likely send someone to bring you here if you send me a distress message…Here's what happened._

_I was sitting in my room and drawing a picture for Jenny…suddenly I just…felt the urge to die. I suppose that after three years of telling people I was insane lead to my mind convincing itself that it was true…I got my katana and slit my throat. It burned like third degree candle-wax burns, and I couldn't even scream because I'd cut through my larynx. I felt tired and closed my eyes—everything went black, obviously, and when I woke up, I was chilled to the bone by loss of blood and Austrian wintertime. e3o I found some matches in my pocket and closed the wound with fire, (yay fire! :D) and bought a scarf from a shop (it's sunflower-colored~!). After that, I met a girl named Issa, who was on the run from, believe it or not, Germany, Italy and Japan (mostly Germany) from Hetalia. Yes, I'm fully serious—Axis Powers are hunting a girl, who by the way, looks like Canada. Issa gave me the rundown about everything, she told me they'd come and kidnapped her, and another person named Josh, who looks like England (my country~!) and drugged Issa, because she fought against them. They only spoke Japanese and their native tongues and she couldn't fully understand them. They cut her hair to look like America, and had her put on replicas of America's clothing, and did the same to Josh, but for England. Then the Axis found a China clone, Jia Li, a female. Hehe… Moving on. After that, the two of them escaped. They found England, and then went to China, and then a bunch of stuff happened. They saved a kid named Zack, who is now being held a Prisoner of War by Germany. More stuff happened, there was a Russia lookalike—his name is Dimah (he's kind of cute, I think)— and a France lookalike, Harvey. Issa ran when everyone was freed, and tried to kill herself, because she has special blood. It can kill nations, mixed with a specific nation's blood. I can't tell you in case Germany somehow finds this, it'd be a hazard to the entire world, literally. Anyway, she thought that if she was dead, the ability of her blood would be gone, and it'd be ordinary once again, but I'd found her just in time with the knowledge of suicidal stupidity. I convinced her to come down and now I'm in Austria's mansion, with Russia, Canada, America, China, England, France, Dimah, his two sisters, Italy, Issa, Harvey, Jia Li and Josh. Recently there's been a trio that's joined the mess, Alex, Sydney and Rin-they look like the Axis. Alex is the only male in the group._

_Now that I've given you my death-reason and what's happened since then, I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY YOU CUT YOURSELF. Nao. And, if need be, I will send you Canada. Happy? The legit, real Canada, but hopefully it won't happen, because then you'd be in this big mess, too. _

I then go to YouTube, and begin taking requests for the karaoke songs as Issa brings Canada in.  
>France chose "I'm Too Sexy" … when he began to take off his cloak, I knew what was coming and shoved him out of the room.<p>

"Non! Non!" I screeched, anger lacing my French.

Next was England…he chose 'Hey Nonny Nonny' from the Shakespeare play, _Much Ado About Nothing.  
><em>I nearly fainted, my country was so classical~! X3  
>I chose 'iNSaNiTY', the Frost mix, in English.<p>

"_Insanity, the weight of the air is torture,  
>Psychopathy, don't know who I am anymore!<br>Insanity, the illusion of ignorance,  
>Captivity, why don't you take a chance~?"<em>

America chose…uh, _Blow Me Away_ by Breaking Benjamin.

After everyone had sang their songs, things just kept getting more awesome until finally, Issa and I ended up with America, Canada and England passed out in our room in their own separate corners.  
>America snores, Canada is normal, and England…he flails.<br>A lot.

I decide to check my FanFiction once again, knowing I need to give my therapy to Memoranda…

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in the USA<strong>  
><strong>Memoranda POV<strong>

* * *

><p>What? No way... Hetalia was real?<br>No freaking way...  
>This is so confusing...Lauren is dead, but she's alive.<br>Hetalia is real, but Germany is evil.  
>Lauren is living with Hetalia characters.<br>I skim the passage again—wait.  
>Canada is there.<br>Canada is real.  
>Lauren gets to see Canada.<br>My fingers fly over the keys again, typing furiously.

_Holy maple leaf. How the maple were you transported to that piano freak's house? What's with the potato head? Have you met my little Lovi? No way, holy crap nuggets this is Prussian!_

I sigh after that part.  
>I don't really want to talk about my emo habits, but Lauren deserved to know.<p>

_I just feel so alone sometimes. People here wouldn't care about me if I was dangling from a cliff. The few people that do are so special that I don't want to leave them…_

I am currently in the process of moving.  
>Again.<br>Each goodbye is so painful, so heart-wrenching, it's hard NOT to go emo, especially when you are socially challenged like me.  
>It's hard to make new friends when all you want are your old ones.<p>

_Thats why I cut myself. I don't want to do it, but the pain that I felt didn't hurt like I thought it would. It felt nice. It scares me to say this, but blood is the prettiest shade of red that I've ever seen. I'm afraid of where I'm going, Lauren. If I kill myself, will I join you? I would like to meet you in person. That would be nice. _

Lauren and I were only PM buddies.  
>She lives in England, and I in America.<br>We have never met, but I could tell that me and her would be best friends.  
>I hadn't released any important information to her, though.<br>For all I knew, Lauren was a forty year old pedophile.  
>But then again, for all she knew, so was I.<br>I trusted her enough to tell her my first name, though.  
>I add to my message:<p>

_Tell that Issa girl not to kill herself. If she really is like Canada, she's likely to feel really lonely...  
>Poke her constantly.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>There's the beginning of the shenanigans!<br>Okay, so this was nearly 13 pages long…holy Swiss Miss… OwO  
>As I said in the author's note at the beginning, <span>Memoranda did NOT cut herself!<span>  
>She's alright, alright?<br>Anyway, so…this is the end.  
>…Yeah. :P<strong>


	7. Teatime, Mem Chan!

**I don't own Hetalia!  
>I don't own My Messed Up Life!<br>I don't own Issa, Josh, Zack, Renae, Sydney, Alex, Rin, Harvey, Dimah, etc.!  
>I don't own anything else! :P<strong>

**Thanks to Memoranda, GermanRainbows, Caset290, and CelticGirl7 for reviewing~  
>Yet anothah update has appeared by the hand of Lauren K.!<br>I was inspired by _The Effects of Bullying_ by Memoranda.  
>It gave me great inspiration to delve further into Lauren's past, and most of the bullying part is kinda based off of her writings…<br>Isht Chaptah six. **

Lauren POV  
>Vienna, Austria<br>The Next Morning

I woke up with a pesky headache…and I immediately noticed the pair of arms wrapped around my waist.  
>I looked down to see England, clutching at my stomach, fast asleep…<br>My country really is the cutest tsundere I've ever met.  
>I smile and, with a bit of difficulty, reach the laptop and turn it on.<br>I check my messages and see Memoranda left me another one:

_Holy maple leaf. How the maple were you transported to that piano freak's house? What's with the potato head? Have you met my little Lovi? No way, holy crap nuggets this is Prussian!  
>I just feel so alone sometimes. People here wouldn't care about me if I was dangling from a cliff. The few people that do are so special that I don't want to leave them…<br>Thats why I cut myself. I don't want to do it, but the pain that I felt didn't hurt like I thought it would. It felt nice. It scares me to say this, but blood is the prettiest shade of red that I've ever seen. I'm afraid of where I'm going, Lauren. If I kill myself, will I join you? I would like to meet you in person. That would be nice. _

_Tell that Issa girl not to kill herself. If she really is like Canada, she's likely to feel really lonely..._

_Poke her constantly._

As my eyes scan the message, I'm shocked, worried, confused and then worried again—until the ending, where I chuckle.  
>I begin typing my reply quietly as to not wake my nation, so it takes me a few moments longer than usual...<p>

_I told you, I haven't the foggiest how I'm even alive right now. No, I haven't met Lovi… *sigh* one cannot have their cake and eat it too, I suppose… And yes. It would be quite Prussian…if it weren't for the fact that the entire world is in danger.  
>I know where you're coming from about the not caring thing. People back home were the same way. I get that you don't want to leave them, it's completely reasonable not to want to leave the people you've connected with…<br>But cutting doesn't resolve problems, it makes them worse. See, I could be at home, sipping my morning tea right now and watching Doctor Who…but no, I've gone and put my life—and now, my friends—in mortal danger… Blood does have a pretty color to it, doesn't it? So does roses.  
>I'd love to meet you in person as well, but not at such a risk! That's utterly preposterous! I'm sorry, but it just isn't worth the risk. I'm afraid where you're going, too, and fear knows no boundaries. Maybe I can convince America to take me to meet you… :3 They can teleport like, 'whoosh!' and it's awesome. Prussian, even. … I promise I'll poke her constantly. I've already threatened to take her blood myself if she tried to kill herself. Yay for Psychopathy! X3<em>

My finger hits the 'send' button and makes a loud click.  
>England snorts in his sleep, and his eyes slowly open, just slightly...<p>

"Flying mint bunny…?" He looks at me, slurring when he speaks.

"Non, it is France~!" I chirp, imitating the pervy nation…rather well.

England's eyes are now wide and full of fury.

"YOU WANKER, WHERE'S MY LAUREN—oh, good morning, Lauren…"

I laugh, and England blushes.

"You know, you've been cuddling my waist for the past hour at least…" I mutter, and he releases my center and I sigh with relief.

"S-sorry. I had to…protect my citizen."

"Hm…I'm just glad you're not France. When I hug him, he's okay, but when he hugs me, I get a feeling that I require an adult…" I shudder, and England smiles.

"Completely understandable," He says, and I grin, and he stands.

I begin to poke Issa (who had been next to me this whole time) constantly on the arm.  
>She stirs, and smacks my hand away.<br>I sigh and go back to the computer, and see the next reply to my PM.

_1TenshiXnoXFashion8 wrote: Some friend u are, goin n dyin! :P heh, ur ok n thts all tht mattrs X3 hehe. I miss u grl! _

I smile, and England peeks over my shoulder.

"Oi! Don't read my messages, creep!" I yell with feigned anger, and he goes along, with a hurt look on his face.

"Okay, fine, I'll leave you be..." He says, but he keeps creeping as I read Memoranda's message.

_Awww. I wanna meet Roma. He's cute, but not to a Canadian level.  
>Wow. The whole world in danger does put a damper on things, doesn't it? Stupid potato jerk.<br>I know, I know. The cutting thing is stupid. I really don't want to do it again. I suppose that roses and paint have the same color as blood does, and it is a much better solution than cutting.  
>Yeah...suicide is really truly and utterly stupid. Meeting you (and my wittle Mattie kins! :3) would be really cool, but dying isn't worth it.<br>If you convince anyone, make it Canada! o3o  
>Woah...thats like Apparating! Harry Potter, FTW! XD<br>Tell her that my invisible friend is watching her. (S) he will be keeping his/her eye on Issa...  
>Im not sure of my invisible friends gender. XD<em>

"One of my best citizens invented Harry Potter! … wait… cutting? Suicide? Lauren, what's this about?" England's voice lowers as the matter becomes serious.

Should I tell him about Issa…?

That'd break my Therapist's Confidence, but he probably has a way to read my thoughts…  
>He'll find out anyway, so I suppose I should save us both a lot of trouble…<p>

"One of America's citizens is going through some really tough issues at the moment," I start hesitantly, "And I've been trying to give her advice…I believe you know how I got here…"

England shakes his head.

"No, I just know about your scar…" He says, and has a comforting look on his face.

"Well…my home … back in England…see, I was…I was bullied…that's the true reason that I…committed suicide. My boyfriend…the scum…he was cheating on me, and when I caught him…he…he tried to lie about it…the girl he was kissing…she called me names…she taunted me, and…and…" I finally broke into sobs, and England hugged me.

"I…I just couldn't take it! I…I drew one last picture for…for J-Jenny…my older s-s-sister…then…" I sob too much to speak here.

"I had s-so much to live for! M-my mum…and my d-dad…they must be…d-d-devistated…! Why did I do it?" I sob again.

All the pressure…  
>All the stress…<br>All the anger, hate, sadness, torment…  
>I let it all out on my country…<p>

And he just let me.

Little to my knowledge, Issa was wide-awake and listening intently, still rolled on her side.

I pound my fist into his sweater-vest, but either it didn't hurt him, or he's really good at hiding pain, because he didn't gasp or anything.  
>It'd made a hollow 'thump', though…<p>

"Shh…Lauren, love, just….calm down…try to match your breathing with mine, dear…"

I do as my nation instructed, and it calmed me down quite a bit.

I sniffle, rub my eyes, and hug my nation tightly.

"Thanks…but I need to get back to my therapy…"

And I begin typing away.

_I'd be a bit scared to meet Romano…he's kind of a jerk, in the show…but it might be because of Germany. And now that I've seen the potato-jerk's true Nazi side, I can see why Lovi's so protective of Feli…_

_I'm glad you don't want to cut again, and yes, it's ridiculous, and if you **do** try it again, I'll never ever let you meet Canada._

_EVER._

_I love the Harry Potter series~  
>My country created it~<br>…I'll tell her. :3_

I hit send, and turn back to England.

"I s'pose I should wake Issa…"

I begin poking her back repeatedly.  
>She stirs, and looks at me blearily.<p>

"Wussat…? Why's England in our room…?" Her tone became suspicious, and I could swear I heard an 'onhonhonhon~' from the next room over.

"I'm not entirely sure," England and I say simultaneously—weird.

"Right then…I'm going to go now, and leave you two be…" England said, rather suspiciously if you ask me, and dragged Canada and America out—in America's case, I meant it literally.

"So, that was some party, wasn't it?" I ask Issa, smiling, but that vanishes when I see her concerned face.

"You killed yourself because you were bullied? Didn't anyone help you? Man, I thought bullying was bad in America…" She says, rapid-fire.

"No one noticed me. I was the anime-freak in the background, and the only person who gives me the light of day was out sick," I say, and Issa nods—then it hits me, "Wait, where did you—you were awake?"

"Yeah," She says sheepishly, "But no matter, you _killed_ yourself because of a jerk! I can't believe how bad the world is…" She says, irritated, when suddenly, our stomachs growl like my neighbor's pet boxer/bullmastiff.

"…I'll make breakfast today!" I chirp, and Issa gives me a look of shock.

"I can cook." I state, raising an eyebrow.

"Right, then let's go!" Issa says, and we get up, and go downstairs, into the kitchen, and spot the American Brothers and England huddled up in a corner.

They stop talking when they see Issa and I walk in, and each gives a cheerful good morning.

"Mornin' yo!"

"Good morning…"

"Morning," England smirks, raising his teacup as George Weasley did in the Harry Potter movie.

What a troll… X3

I smile and begin preparing scrambled eggs and bacon.

The smell brought France and Italy into the kitchen, and I roll my eyes.

If only the whole world could live in peace, as this house brings forth.

I'd bet anything that if Germany stepped foot into the welcoming area here, he'd stop being a psychopath…

…One can dream…

Soon, Alex, Sydney and Rin were down as well, and I made breakfast for everyone—poor Austria was out of eggs.

Someone should tell him that…just not me…

After breakfast, I step out of the kitchen and am pulled into a dark corner by America.

"You git! I'm telling En—" A hand covers my mouth as I scream, causing me to shut up.

"Dude, this is part of the plan! Iggy told me n' Canada about your buddy, my citizen, and we're gonna take you to her! She needs some heroic help, from what Iggy says!"

I facepalm, and shrug.

Then the information sets in.

I'm going to meet Memoranda.

In the flesh.

Hopefully she isn't a pedophile. :3

Alfred lets go, and I dash up into Issa and my shared room, and check my messages again.

So what, I'm addicted.

_WUT? TAKE AWAY MAH CANADIAN? NUUUUUUUUU! DX I WANNA HUGGLE HIM. XD_

_Yeah, something is definitely wrong with Potato head. He needs to be locked in a mental asylum. _

_?...? Her? Iggy is a boy last I checked...FRANCE WUT DA MAPLE DID YOU DO TO IGGY?_

_XD message me back, Ren-chan!_

I grin and begin typing back.

_I was referring to Issa...France hasn't done anything to England...yet. o3o I'mma protect mah nation! ONE WOMAN ARMY! RAWR! FEAR MY PMS! :U ...Anyway, I just found out the coolest thing EVER! It's a surprise though. I'll tell you in due time. X3_

Send.

England bursts into the room, after knocking twice, and thankfully I hadn't started to get dressed yet.

"No time, love! We have to go!"

And I only had time to slip on my boots, scarf and a blue bath-robe.

A very fuzzy blue bath robe. :3

After an awesome teleporting thingy, we're in front of a large house, in a cozy-looking neighborhood.

Canada, America and I get out of the car—England voted to stay in the car, to watch for any suspicious Germans.  
>I grin and poke America, ask him for his iPhone, and send Issa one last message.<p>

XxXxXx  
>Later, in USA<p>

Memoranda POV

XxXxXx

I look at the message confusedly.

A surprise?  
>What did Lauren mean by surprise?<p>

It was a Saturday, so I lounge about for a while, before checking my messages again:

_Hehe...go to your front door~ X3 (that sounded stalkerish, but do it, mmkay?) X3  
><em>

I read over Laurens message.  
>Confused as I am, I follow orders.<br>A shriek passes my lips when I see the three people standing there.  
>Two nearly identical men and a...slightly short brunette girl wearing a yellow scarf tightly around her neck…<p>

"Lauren?" I ask.

She nods and I glomp her!

"OH MY GOSH! YOU'RE HERE, AND YOU BROUGHT ME A CANADA!" I release Lauren and fly at mah beloved Canadian.

He squeals as my body makes impact with his, and he sounds so adorable~~~~

Lauren grins and then I notice she's just standing in the snow, in shorts, a tank top, boots and a bath robe.

"Oh, guys! Come in!" I say, releasing Canada, and America kind of…dances in.

Lauren follows and Canada kind of looks scared as he passes me.

I grin, and he goes faster…

Hmm.

I shut the door and walk back into the warmth of my home, dancing around Lauren in circles.

"I can't believe you're here in person~! And you're not a pedo, YAY~!"

Lauren laughs, and adjusts her scarf again.

"Whussat?" I ask her, and her smile flickers.

"My demise," She responds, and I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Alright, fine, it's where I died, kay? You wanna see?" She asks, irritated.

I nod, and she unravels the scarf, which was actually quite long, and tightly wound around her neck.

I see a horrifyingly long, but deep, slice, clean across her neck.  
>The scab covering it turned it dark, wine-purple, and the area around it looked burned, as it was swelled with a blister.<p>

Lauren retied her scarf after a moment, and I sigh.

"Mem, I need to talk to you. This is Canada, as you well know, and America," She said America's name through gritted teeth as she held him back from glomping me.

"Nice to meet you all," I respond, and Lauren drags me away and into the kitchen, muttering a 'stay put' to the brothers.

"What's this about?" I ask her as she sits down in a chair, and I sit across from her.

"I came to visit! And I brought Canada!" She chirps.

I raise an eyebrow at her, and she sighs, faceplanting onto the table and stretching her arms out in front of her.

She sighs, and looks at me with brown eyes.

"Right, then…I want to tell you the story in person. It's easier, and typing makes my fingers hurt…forgive me, I'm 1/16 Greecian…" She jokes, and we laugh.

She goes on to tell me every little detail she knew, and it took about an hour in total.

"But…can I help?" I ask her.

She shakes her head.

"No, I'm sorry…but it's just too dangerous. Besides, Issa is a lot like you…it's like having you there…I'll visit again sometime. Now, let's go let you talk with Canada," She says, smiling.

"Yay~!" I sing, and we walk back into the living room and I glomp Canada again.

"Boys, this is Memoranda, my friend and mutual therapist." Lauren says loudly, and America grins.

"Sweet! My citizen is awesome!" He shouts, and Lauren facepalms.

"Anyway, Arthur's in the car outside—" Lauren is interrupted by America.

"Whoa, dude, since when're you guys on a first-name basis?" He asks suspiciously, and I look at Lauren, who turns a shade of pink—fangirl's instinct. :3

"Since I'm his citizen, you prat!" She shouts, then covers her mouth with both hands—I wonder why? 

Oh, British people, I'll never understand you…

"Anyway, I just came to give you a right talking-to," She continues when she removes her hand, looking at me, "You need to be a good Memoranda and quit self-harming your…self."

She finds a slip of notebook paper and a worn-down pencil, but scribbles on it, and hands it to me.

"This is my e-mail. I want you to keep in direct contact with me at all times, and tell me all of your emotional problems. Yes? Yes. Now, I have to get back to kicking Germany's psychotic rear," She says, smiling, and pulls me into a hug.

"Hey Lauren?" I ask.

"What?"

"Thanks. For helping me. I promise I'll tell you if I feel like I've hit rock bottom, kay?" I say with a smile, and she grins and nods.

"Right! And remember, your penalty for breaking that promise is no Canadian visits, ever again," Lauren says, waving her finger at me.

I laugh, and we talk for a while—Canada lets me give him another hug (and this time he hugs back! X3) and then they're off.

I watch as they literally just…poof'd away…hmm.

Almost immediately I sit at my computer and begin typing out another PM.

XxXxXx

Lauren POV

Back in Austria

XxXxXx

Well, that was fun.

Seeing Memoranda as a real person instead of a collection of pixels somehow relaxed me.

Maybe it was knowing for a fact that I could trust her, and she trusts me, helped calm my nerves…?

I'll go with that for now.

Either way, I have to get back to helping Issa now…

I couldn't help but notice vague similarities between Mem-chan and Issa…hmm.

I run into Issa, who was looking for Canada.

"Have him right here, I do, here's your Canadian Bacon!" I joke, pushing the shy nation to Issa.

She laughs, and she and Canada go off somewhere to talk about something.

I hear raised voices in the kitchen, and go to investigate—I should've known it was going to be Arthur and France…

"You git, don't talk about my citizen that way!" Arthur shouts, wielding a rapier.

**(That's a special kind of thin, double-edged sword, kind of like the ones used in fencing. But not really.)**

"She is very lovely, that is all I am saying… Black Sheep!" France shouts back.

I facepalm for the second time today and step between the sword coming toward each other.

"Calm down, you two! You act like an old, married couple, for goodness' sake!" I announce, and France just pouts, and exits dramatically—earning a smack from me when he tried to bad-touch.

"So…" England says.

I begin making tea, and England peeks over my shoulder.

"So…" I repeat.

"Quite." England responds, and we sit in chairs around the table.

"Yeah…what were you and Francis arguing over? I thought I heard the word 'citizen' in the mix…"

England goes pink.

"Oh, n-nothing!"

I give him my trademark 'tell me the truth or pay the price' glare—it scares most people—and he cracks.

"Alright, fine. The frog was talking about you…in an inappropriate and completely disgusting manner…and I told him to shut his face…" England said sheepishly, and I smile.

"That was sweet, Arthur, thank you…" I jump when I feel a…something…rub against my ankle.

I look down and see Austria-cat, meowing loudly.

In the words of Germany, "How did I not see him?"

I smile and scratch behind his ears, and he goes away.

I get a dizzy feeling…

"Ngh…I'm going to go to sleep…good night, Arthur…" I mumble, and stagger upstairs—and find Issa, sitting and reading a book.

"Hey, Lauren, where'd you go?" She asks when she sees me come in.

"On a little…business trip…" I smile, and am asleep before my head hits the pillow.

**Ve~**

**Sorry for not updating sooner peoples!**

**I'm running out of ideas… o3o **

**And, again, about Memoranda:**

**She's not actually hurt, people!  
>She's okay! :3<strong>

**Yaaay~**


	8. Music and Anger

**I don't own Hetalia!  
>I don't own My Messed Up Life!<br>I don't own Issa, Josh, Zack, Renae, Sydney, Alex, Rin, Harvey, Dimah, etc.!  
>I don't own Britt Nicole or her music!<br>I don't own anything else! :P**

I wake up with another headache.  
>Why is it that I only get headaches when I exit my epic world filled with chocolate and Hetalia…?<br>I check my messages again, because the computer was still in Issa's and my room…

_Lauren…I did it again._

I didn't even read the rest of the message—that was all I could take—and felt a throb in my temples.

I slam the laptop shut, and stand, storming into the hallway, down the stairs, and into the snow, where I collapse on a snow bank and begin to pummel it.

"SHE TOLD ME SHE WOULD QUIT!" I yell into the snow as I kick at it and just generally throw it across the large courtyard.

Eventually I calm down, and collapse into the snow again.

"She…she told me…she would stop…that she didn't want to…do it anymore…" I pant, out-of-breath from my snow-PMS.

I could feel my eyes wide with fury—my hair was wet from melted snow, and probably frizzed out.  
>My fingers were numb, now, as were my toes, feet and face.<br>I go back inside to warm up, and run into America.

"Yo, dudette! Have you seen—what's wrong?" He asks, noting the look on my face, that most likely roared 'I'm either really angry or it's that time of month'.

"I'm both royally angry and completely worried, not to mention feeling depressed!" I whisper—when I'm this angry I can't even yell, I whisper.

"Why?" He drags out the word, pulling a soda from nowhere and slurping on it loudly.

I wait for him to stop—or, at least slurp quietly enough to not drown out my words.

"I'm angry because my close friend is turning emo—I'm worried, because my advice doesn't seem to be helping her much at all—and I'm depressed for more than…" I pause here, counting my reasons mentally, "…seven different reasons. Five aren't worth explaining to you, and two are extremely complicated."

He just looks at me.

"Right then…" I walk quickly away, and look at my watch.

Holy Roman Empire, it's six thirty!  
>I run into the kitchen to find Issa, working on chicken, baked potatoes and corn.<br>I offer to help, and she lets me—after everyone gathers and eats, I exclaim that I'm taking care of the dishes, and that if anyone bothered me they would lose a limb.

Eventually, the inevitable happens—France prances in and starts hitting on me.

"Mon cherie…ne vous s'il vous plaît laissez-moi vous faire hurler mon nom ...?"

After taking a moment to translate that to myself, I keep my promise of limb destruction.

After a moment, France begins screaming—"Non! Non! Je suis désolé! Ne me blesse pas! Je vous en prie!"

**{No! No! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me! I beg of you!}**

I hear a dull thud, then a bit of flapping, but I ignore it as I continue France's punishment.  
>The sight playing out now was likely to be both funny and strange, seeing as I was attempting to stab France with a corn cob.<p>

"SHUT—UP—YOU—BLOODY—WANKER—OR—I'LL—CASTRATE—YOU—WITH—A—SPOON!" I shouted, emphasizing each word with a stab as France tried to run away.

A laugh hits my ears and I look up, and my anger melts away.

"Oh, hello, Issa!" I chirp, smiling brightly at me as France bolts out the door.

"…H-hello…Lauren, I think you should just put the cob down and walk away…" Issa says quietly and slowly, and I tilt my head, before shrugging and chucking the cob into the trash can.

"Right, sorry about that, I've just been really frustrated today."

"Why?" Issa questions.

"Issues from back home…" It isn't a lie—I was Mem-chan's therapist before I came to Austria.

"Oh, okay," She says.

I realize that by now I have accumulated a bit of sweat and corn kernels, so I excuse myself to go and bathe.  
>I run upstairs and into Issa's and my room—there was a bathroom connected, which I went into—and lock the door.<br>I pull off my scarf and pajamas, placing the PJ's in the clothes hamper, and turn on the hot water.  
>I step into the water and let it cascade over me, instantly warming me.<br>As I bathe, I get the normal urge to sing, so I do.

_Little girl, terrified  
>She'd leave her room if only bruises would heal<br>Her home is no place to hide  
>Her heart is breaking from the pain that she feels<em>

_Every day's the same, she fights to find her way  
>She hurts, she breaks<br>She hides, and tries to pray  
>She wonders why does anyone ever hear her when she cries?<em>

_Today she's turning sixteen  
>Everyone's singing, but she can't seem to smile<br>They never get past arm's length,  
>How can they act like everything is alright?<br>Pulling down her long sleeves  
>To cover all the memories the scars leave, she says,<br>"Maybe making me bleed will be the answer that could wash the slate clean"_

_Every day's the same, she fights to find her way  
>She hurts, she breaks<br>She hides, and tries to pray  
>She wonders why does anyone ever hear her when she cries?<em>

_This is the dark before the dawn  
>The storm before the peace<br>Don't be afraid, the seasons change  
>And God is watching over you,<br>He hears you…_

_Every day's the same, she fights to find her way  
>She hurts, she breaks<br>She hides, and tries to pray  
>She'll be just fine, cuz I know<br>He hears her,  
>When she cries…<em>

I finish my song, and my shower—I turn the water off and towel-dry my hair, and find an extra pair of pajamas.  
>They were black-and-blue plaid, and a baggy black shirt would suffice for a top.<p>

As I exit the bathroom, I go downstairs and find England, sipping tea and reading a book.  
>I decide to use my voices for evil, and sneak up quietly behind him…<p>

"Guten tag, heirr England," I say in a fair imitation of Germany.

**{Hello, Mr. England.}**

England jumps and tries to sock me in the nose, but I jump away just in time.

"My God, Lauren, you really must stop sneaking up on me!" He shouts when he finds it was just me being evil.

"What can I say? I'm a small part German…and Irish…and Greecian. Maybe a little bit of Italian—oh, I'm sorry, am I scaring you?" I smirk, noting the horrified look on England's face.

"Bit," He replies, and I plop down next to him.

"So, Arthur, tell me…why does America call you a limey?" I ask curiously.

"Because my sailors carries crates of limes with them to try and prevent Scurvy," England responds, turning a page in his book.

This makes me curious and I peek over his shoulder to see the text.  
>He was reading about the history of tea…<p>

"Real party animal, you are," I state flatly, and rest my head on his shoulder.

He tenses for a moment, then relaxes, and I sigh, tired.  
>Once again I begin singing.<p>

_You must go where I cannot,  
>Pangur Ban, Pangur Ban,<br>Nil sa saol seo ach ceo  
>Is ni bheimid beo,<br>ach seal beag gearr.  
>Pangur Ban, Pangur Ban,<br>Nil sa saol seo ach ceo…~_

England looks at me, kind of surprised-looking.

"You speak Gaelic?" He questions.

"Naw, I just know it because of a movie…" I chuckle to myself, and my eyelids begin to droop.

I fall asleep, resting on Arthur's shoulder…

XxXxXx

England POV

XxXxXx

I notice the lack of speech from Lauren…  
>She isn't moving much, either…<br>Hmm…

Suddenly she falls into my lap, and I jump a bit.  
>She's asleep?<p>

I can only pray now that France doesn't walk into the room and get the wrong idea…

I'm feeling rather drowsy as well…  
>A small nap wouldn't hurt…<p>

"Hey, England?" Issa's voice is blurry…I can't answer, I feel too sleepy…

I drift out of consciousness.

XxXxXx

**Yay for short chaptahs!  
>The song Lauren sang in the shower was 'When She Cries' by Britt Nicole, and the one she sang when she was with England was Aisling's Song from the epic movie, The Secret of Kells.<br>I don't own them! o3o**


	9. Canon Chapter! Dreams and Schemes

**I don't own Hetalia!  
>I don't own My Messed Up Life!<br>I don't own Issa, Josh, Zack, Renae, Sydney, Alex, Rin, Harvey, Dimah, etc.!  
>FWAHHH, THE NEW STORY IS UP!<br>I ALMOST DIED WHEN I SAW THISSSSS.**

**Like, seriously though…GO READ NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T!  
>If you have, READ IT AGAIN! :D<br>Woohoo! **

**Dear Reader,**

**We are sorry to inform you that this story will be continued by the UK!Lauren because US!Lauren has gone into a fangirl comatose for the time being.  
>Thank you for your patience.<strong>

**Hoping you are well,  
>Lauren C. :3<strong>

Lauren's POV, yay~

_**Germany...no...  
>Don't hurt me...<br>Not me...  
>Not Issa...<br>Please...  
>Snap out of it...<strong>_

**I toss and turn in my sleep.  
>In my head, the sky was blood red, and the ground was cracked and a horrible black...<br>The plants were dead.  
>The ground was bloodstained...<br>I was tied to a stake, covered in bruises and bleeding cuts.  
>I stared at the blood-spattered, wide-eyed blonde holding the whip in front of me, as he draws it back to hit me again—<strong>

**CRACK.**

**My blood spatters the ground again, and I scream, again.**

**Is this truly happening…?  
>Is this what happened to Arthur...?<strong>

**I flinch as the pain throbs, coursing through my veins as some sort of replacement of my lost blood.**

**_"You are worthless!"_ A black cat hisses at me, its horrible solid red eyes glaring at me as it too swipes at me with long, razor-like claws...**

**_"Stop! Please!"_ I choke out.**

**Germany lets out a terrifying cackle.  
>The 'most horrifying' Marukaite Chikyuu begins playing somewhere near yet distant, in a horrid, scratchy voice...<strong>

**Finally, Germany pulls a dagger from nowhere—he cuts the tight ropes **_(with harsh cotton fibers…anyone who gets it wins a cookie)_** around my wrists and I fall to the ground.  
>Slowly he drags the blade across my nearly bare back...<br>Warm, sticky blood flows out of the wound as I scream again.  
>My throat is dry and stinging.<br>Germany draws another mark upon my skin...  
>And then, when the pain is at it's climax, he stabs the dagger deep into my back, laughing maniacally through doing so...<strong>

**_"Coward..."_ I rasp, falling onto my side, and staring up at the blood-spattered face of my enemy.**

Suddenly the world becomes bright again.  
>My eyes snap open and I bolt upright, jumping off of the couch I was laying on…<p>

My mind churns as I try to find the meaning of my horrifyingly realistic dream...  
>Well, obviously, if my crazy aunt is right, my dream means...<br>Germany is going to somehow come into contact with me.  
>It's not going to be pleasant, either...<br>And someone is going to betray me, or someone close to me.  
>The whole stabbing-in-the-back thing is kind of evidence of that...<br>My aunt thinks she's a legit fortune teller...

"Lauren, what's wrong?" England asks, surprise in his tired voice.

"I…I was being tortured…G-Germany…I—I have to…!" I collapse on top of my nation in a tight hug.

One of us was shaking pretty badly, and I don't think it was England.

"Just calm down, love…that's it, it was only a nightmare…" Something in his voice made me think that he'd done this a million times when America was a child.

Eventually, I do manage to calm down, with lots of hugs and calm words from my nation.  
>Slowly, the pain and worry drifts from me and is replaced by blissful ignorance and warmth.<br>I cling to my country and softly drift into a much calmer, sweeter dream.

=x=

I wake and notice that my pillow is not very comfortable…  
>I punch it to soften the cotton, and my pillow whimpers…<p>

"…Shut up, pillow, I'm sleeping…" I mumble, snuggling into the pillow.

"I'm not a pillow…!" My pillow says in a high-pitched voice.

I lift my head and sit up—I'm not in my bed!  
>I'm on a couch…and my pillow…<br>Was definitely not a pillow.

It was England…?

"Sorry, I—"

"It's alright, love, no harm intended…" I could hear in his voice that I'd not missed his vital regions when I fluffed my 'pillow'.

I stood, wobbled, and fell back down, landing directly on my nation's lap—France walks in at this unlucky moment.

"Onhonhon~! I'll leave you two alo—" France earned a faceful of my pillow's fist and I laughed like an American.

"HAHAHAH! You just got hit, Francey-pants~!" I chirp, and skip off into the hall.

When I heard voices I knew something was going on, and I turn from skipping to a sprint as I strain to hear the voices...

"There's some people I want you to meet."

As I turn the corner, I smack directly into Issa.

"Ow! Lauren, you're stepping on my hair. Get off," She complains, pulling on my socks.

"Oh, sorry, Issa," I say, stepping off her hair. I back away a few steps and bumps into America.

"Oh. Sorry, America. Hey, what's wrong? You look down. What did Iggy do to you?"

Issa laughs. "Lauren, this is Zack."

I gape at her for a second, then proceed to poke Zack.

"You sure? He looks a lot like America."

"Yes. I'm sure. America can't act like that."

America's voice floats down the hall. "Hey!" he whines.

"Just testing your range!" Issa calls back carelessly.

Zack smiles.

"I'm really Zack."

Overprotective sisterly instincts burn through me with a passion as I lower my voice to a hiss-like whisper.

"Okay, Zack, listen well: I swear, if you break Issa's heart, I_. Will. Bloody. Murder. You_."

I think I made my point. X3  
>I back away smiling, saying, "Nice to meet you! Issa's told me all about you!"<p>

Zack looks stunned.

"Lauren!" Issa protests…she heard me.

"What?" I ask innocently, "I didn't do anything," I pause to lower my voice, "...Yet..."

"That's two death threats today..." Zack smiles.

When I send him one of my 'Please continue' stares, he clarifies, "Issa said she'll kill me if I 'go all heroic again'."

"Nyeeeh, why can't people just get along?" Issa whines, pulling on Zack's hair.

"You two are the ones threatening to kill me!" He retorts.

"True..." My sistah-friend mutters.

"Oh!" I say as something randomly clicks in my mind, "I just remembered—Jia Li's here!"

"What? Really? Where?" Issa asks.

"Question!" Zack says while raising his hand, "Who's Jia Li?"

"The China lookalike," Issa supplies, taking Zack's hand again and following me.

We find Jia Li in the living room, sitting next to China; she doesn't seem to trust anyone else.  
>I blush quite a shade of red as I notice Dimah.<p>

Jia Li jumps up when she sees Issa, runs, and hugs her.

"Ni hao, Jia LI!" Issa greets happily, embracing the Chinese girl, as well.

"Jia Li, this is Zack." Issa announces, pulling him into the spotlight.

Jia Li looks between Zack and Issa, noticing their similar appearances confusedly.  
>Then she looks at China and shrugs; if she looks like China, Zack can look like Issa, she most likely figured...<p>

I snicker slightly as I notice the confused look on Issa's face.

She shakes her head as if clearing a headache (maybe she has a few wrackspurts?) and then wanders off toward the Axis lookalikes' room.  
>I wonder how they're doing…?<br>Issa knocks on the door.

"Hey. It's Issa," She calls.

I can hear Alex laughingly yell back, "Come in!"  
>Sydney starts to protest, but Issa is already inside.<br>I peek over through the doorway, hiding myself slightly behind a wall.  
>Alex and Rin are both laughing at Sydney as she flushes a deep crimson.<br>Sydney is wearing a dress that it looks like Alex and Rin poked her into.

When she sees Issa, she says indignantly, "I didn't choose to wear this! They made me!" she cries, alternating pointing an accusing finger at Alex and Rin.

"But Sydney-Chan, you look so adorable!" Rin says through giggles of mirth.

The dress that they found is a bluish-green color, and it has thin straps.  
>You can easily see the bandages hiding the scars that run up and down her arms.<br>The dress falls until her knees, and her black socks stick out of her tan boots.  
>Her long, blonde hair is loose around her shoulders.<br>She really does look good in the dress…  
>What was that thing America had said… 'no homo'…?<br>Yeah, I think so… I call 'no homo' on my previous statement. o3o;  
>Sydney blushes deeper as she sees Zack looking over Issa's shoulder.<p>

"Oh crap, it's a person!" She yelps as she ducks into the bathroom to get changed.

Zack grins. "I don't bite!"

Alex wipes tears of laughter from his eyes. "That was awesome," he declares.

Issa smiles.

"Yeah. Guys, this is Zack. Zack, this is Alex, Rin, and Sydney," Issa points to the closed bathroom door as she says Sydney's name.

"Hi!" Sydney shouts when she hears her name.

Sydney comes out wearing her black turtleneck and black pants.

"Hate wearing dresses," she mutters to herself as she drops onto a bed.

Rin and Alex both give a belated greeting due to Sydney's re-entrance.

"So, these guys are like us?" Zack asks.

"They're supposed to look like the countries?" Issa nods.

"Yup. Oh, hey," Issa asks suddenly, "Just wondering—who's the strongest right now?"

They kind of look uneasy…

"I don't know," Alex says, "I've never felt these guys before...They both make me want to go to war...Like with swords and stuff. It's weird. I don't like them." Sydney and Rin nod in agreement.

"Well, who's war-like?" Zack asks.

Immediately, my brain goes through my Hetalian subconscious, set to find one character who actually _goes_ to war without problem…I receive a look from Issa for help.  
>I shrug, and then we both gasp at the same time.<p>

"Roman Empire and Germania!" we exclaim in unison.

"But...They're not here anymore, right? I mean, sure, Rome shows up and sings every once in a while, but Germania..." Issa trails off, thinking hard.

Once again, she shakes off a headache and then speaks again.

"I don't think it's Rome and Germania. I mean, like..." She trails off. "I don't really know how to explain it, but I'm pretty sure it isn't. Any ideas, Lauren?" I shake my head.

"No...Unless the zombie apocalypse is finally upon us. I gotta go borrow one of Switzie's guns. Be right back~!" I start to walk off after I pull my joke with a serious tone.

"There's no zombies. It's fine," Issa announces while laughing.

"Question," Zack says again, "What's going on?"

Issa sighs.

"It's complicated. I'll tell you later," She looks and see the Axis' wary expressions, and adds, "It's alright. He's not a bounty hunter, either."

They don't seem very reassured…

Zack wanders out of the room, and I decide to stalk him.

He stops and looks immensely troubled, and I go into therapist-mode once again.

"Zack…" I start, and he jumps, looking over at me tensely.

"What?" He asks, voice cracking slightly—I choose not to pay attention, but I note it anyway.

"What's wrong…?"

"I…you know how girls have all their emotional issues?"

I nod.

"Well, guys have them, too…we just choose not to show them to anyone…"

"Well, if you ever need to talk, I'll probably be stalking England or Russia…maybe France..." I trail off, and walk away, deep in my thoughts of fangirlism.

Eventually I do run into France—and I back up, and run into him again, and again, and again~!

"Ouch~! Mon cherie, that _hurts_!" He whined, and I quit stepping on his feet and hugged him.

"I'm sowwy, Francey-chan, can you forgive meee~?" I pull the cutest sickly-sweet voice I could manage, along with my best puppy-pout, and he sighs.

"Fine, but only if I get a kiss!" His rape-face appeared, but I shrugged, and pulled the most Romano-like thing I could.

"Fine…" I muttered, and kissed my knuckle and decked him in the arm.

"WHOOSH!" I shouted, taking off and giggling maniacally into the living room…

I love to hate France, yet I just generally love him.  
>Except when he violates my country…<br>Then I pummel him, da? owo

I reach the living room and see Issa sitting upside-down on the sofa...  
>It looked fun, so I join her and kick the air as my hair flails around to the beat playing in my head.<p>

"What'cha doing?" I question, and England sighs.

" What are you. Not 'What'cha'. Discussing strategies and watching you two act oddly," He corrects, opening his book again.

"When am I not odd?" I giggle happily.

"…Good point," England says half-heartedly.

Turning my head toward Issa's, I ask her, "What was your plan?"

"Telling Germany that it's Russia's blood instead of Italy's. But that won't work because that includes me going and giving myself up. Which I shall not do," She replies.

I stare at the underside of the coffee table, considering this and coming to a conclusion.

"That could work. But we'd need a replica of you." Issa sighs and grips the fabric of the sofa.

"Where're going to get a replica of me?"

Hmm...  
>I'm silent for a moment while I come up with an answer.<p>

"You're a replica of Canada," I finally reason, "So, he's a replica of you."

"But I'm a girl," Issa replies, "And I don't think Canada's leg is completely healed."

I nod, still upside-down. "Yes, that's right. Was that Cuba's doing? I forgot to ask."

"Yeah," Issa says.

Suddenly I have this cool flashback thingy…

_**I could feel the rubbery substance in my hands as I coated Jeremy Smith with it, laughing.**_

"_**OW! Not so bloody much, Lauren!" He whined, and I glared at him with my infamous Russian!Itachi glare. **(I don't own Itachi! D:) _

"_**Shut your face or I'll change it, too," I threaten calmly, and he follows orders.**_

_**Jeremy was my close friend and neighbor.  
>I grew up with him and he with me, we were like family.<br>He didn't watch anime, though, so he knew nothing of Hetalia or any other sort of anime show, so he had no fanfiction account.**_

_**I finished applying the latex rubber to Jeremy's still body, and we ended up winning the little class competition to see who could apply the latex best…  
>Though it might've helped that Jeremy had shoulder-length hair, and was generally slightly short…<strong>_

"Well, I was in Drama class back at my old school, and it was the more technical side of theatre," I recall, "I learned how to make a boy look like a girl."

Issa looks at me; I felt her eyes boring a hole into my head...

"Really? How?"

"Latex. It was pretty fun to do, but I'm sure it wasn't that fun to have done to you. You can't move at all, and if you're doing something with the face, you have to put straws in their nose, and that's the only thing they can breathe out of..."

"Yeah," She agrees, "That doesn't sound like fun."

During this whole time, England is listening.

"England, why are you eavesdropping on our conversation?" Issa whines.

"I'm listening to you brainstorm. You're thinking in the right direction, I can tell."

I fake a scoff. "Oh, so you know how to solve this?" I poke his leg.

"No..." He says slowly and carefully, "…But I like the way that you're thinking. That's all."

"Whatever," Issa says, but I only hear static as I recall my nightmare.

Would that really happen to Issa if she did go to Germany's?  
>I…wish I could see into the future.<br>Someone like me could really use that kind of power…

Suddenly, my mind begins putting together a plan that I don't know whether or not I even approve of yet…

"Well, I know how to use make-up really well…So, maybe I could go and fill in for you for a while." Issa stares at me, wide-eyed, before just kind of…blowing up.

"_WHAT?_ No, no,_ no_. I forbid. Like, if-you-try-that-I'll-kill-you kind of forbid. Literally. That's a bad-bad-bad-_bad_ idea," She spurts out while flipping off the couch to land right-side-up on her knees in front of the still upside-down moi...

No fair, she's a ninja, too? D:

"But can't I at least show you how well I can do it?" I beg.

"I can't stop you from doing that. But I will do everything in my power to keep you from giving yourself up for me."

I wave an uncaring hand.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," She says, semi-successfully imitating Issa's ninja-flip thingy and landing next to her.

I poke her and run off.

"That was rather odd," England comments. "Yep," I agree. "But then again, when is she ever not odd?" England laughs. "Almost never," he replies. "Yeah. But you gotta love her." He nods. "I'm rather proud she's my citizen. She has a strong mind, and she knows how to use it."

I giggle silently as I finish eavesdropping…  
>Hey, you can't blame a girl who basically grew up with people talking behind her back, can you?<p>

After listening and hearing nothing but mindless chatter and plotting about stealing pocky from the kitchen, I take off to find Hungary-she must have some makeup.  
>What girl doesn't?<br>Eventually I find her.

"Miss Hungary, do you have any makeup I could borrow? Oh, and I need bright blue contact lenses, and a wig that I can cut to look like Issa's hair...Your answer could save the world!" I announce, and she looks confused, but nods.

"Yes, I do, follow me!" *insert random rainbow of imaginaaaation~ here*

I follow Hungary to her room, where she pulls out a very large box of makeup, built like that of a fisherman's tacklebox.  
>I thank her and head into a nearby bathroom, leaning on the counter and beginning to apply layer after layer of makeup.<p>

Issa's pale...foundation and concealer.  
>Her lips are a different shade...more foundation, lip gloss.<br>Eye shadow, brown mascara…  
>Eyebrow pencil, to lighten mine...<p>

Finally I find a bright red eyeshadow collection and, with my artistic skills as sharp as the blade I'd died on, I recreated Issa's scar...

Suddenly Dimah walks in.

I jump and end up with a slash of red on my nose, and turn to glare, red-faced under all the makeup, at my intruder and potential crush.

"Dimah!" I growl, raising a large pink-coated blush-brush threateningly and he puts his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"I don't know what you are up to, but I want to help," He says in Russian, and I sigh.

"Alright...go get Issa and bring her to the music room-the third room to the left on the third floor," I command.

"Why?" He asks curiously.

"Because I bossed you to!" I snap, pointing the brush at him and accidentally turning his nose a shade of magenta.

He wipes it off, shrugs, and goes to find my target while I dash into the room specified.  
>Minutes after I get into the room and hide in the closet, Dimah enters with Issa.<br>I jump out of the closet, and Issa shrieks in alarm.

Then, she laughs and says, "Lauren, you scared me!"

"Yes, that was the point!" I reply.

After I said that, Issa's eyes widen slightly as she takes in my completely different face.  
>I managed to make myself a replica of my best friend, minus my hair, which was still up in a messy brown bun.<p>

"Let me see your glasses," I boss.

Issa hands them over and when I put them on, at first I can't see a thing, but then after my eyes burn I am finally able to see the world about 67% more clearly.

"Whoa. You're like, blind," I voice my thoughts, my eyes blinking rapidly through the thick lenses.

Issa laughs.

"Yes, I know. I can't see anything," She complains, walking closer to see me better.

Suddenly I remember the vital (regions?) parts of the illusion, and shout, "Wait a minute!" and runs off, still wearing Issa's glasses.

"I still can't see!" She calls after me.

I look around the several boxes and stands holding wigs until I find the one I'd cut up, with Hungary's permission, of course...  
>What made me kind of concerned as the fact she had four different wigs from animes that I recognized, Pluto a wig matching the hair of Hatsune Miku...<br>I also dig through the contacts until I find the right shade of cerulean irises.

Suddenly I hear an "Ow! Maple!" And a few moments later, Issa calls out jokingly, "Lauren, your boyfriend died."

First, I'm blissfully confused—then, angry because she announced my crush in _front _of my crush, then I feel a wave of relief because I remembered that he doesn't speak English.

"Nuuuuu!" I play along, mocking anguish as I cry out.

I proceed to step out of the wig-room and into the music room, leaning against a piano as Issa walks forward.

"Lauren?" She asks, inching closer.

"No," I respond, pulling my best American accent (shockingly, when I don't have my accent, I sound very much like Issa), "I'm Issa."

She stands up and walks until she's about ten inches away.

"It's like I'm looking in a mirror!" She cries, pulling on a strand of my short, brownish-blonde hair.

Apparently frustrated with her lack of sight, she removes her glasses from my face and puts them on her own.

Blinking as I did, she mutters a single "Wow".

"So, what do you think?" I ask, grinning and twirling in a circle.

"You did amazingly!" Issa exclaims, looking closer at my face.

The only indication I gave off that I knew of was a few chocolate-brown strands of hair sticking out from the wig...

"You really think so?" I ask eagerly.

"Yeah! This is so cool!" Even Dimah comes closer to inspect me.

"Good work," He says in Russian.

"Spasibo!" I chirp.

Zack walks in.

"Hey, Issa. I just wanted to-" He stops and looks between Issa and I.

"What?"

We both burst into laughter. I take the time to imitate the way Issa places her hand over her mouth as she laughs.

"Okay, who's who?" Zack asks, walking closer.

"You'll have to find out for yourself," I say, hopefully masking my British accent well.

As I spoke I was half-acting, squinting as if I was unable to see well-the half-acting's other half was that the sky-blue contacts were irritating my eyes slightly.

"Uhhhh..." Zack circles us, trying to make a decision, "...You're Issa," He declares, pointing at me. I grin.

"You got me!"

While Zack fist-pumps, I give Issa a 'Wow, this make-up is better than I thought!' expression.  
>She laughs.<p>

"Well, c'mere. I wanna talk to you," Zack says, pulling me out of the room.

"Oh, wait," I say.

I go into the other room and come out with a repilca of Issa's glasses, and then I go with Zack.

"Issa, you know that I love you, right?"

I nod, putting on a convincingly confused look.

"Good..."

"Why do you ask?" I ask, feigning innocent confusion.

"No reason," He lies, I can tell...

You lie!  
>You LIIIIEEEEEE! :U<p>

He just kind of goes off and before I make myself worry to the point of a convulsion, I go to the living room and start bothering Arthur.

"Hey, Arthur?" I ask, sitting next to him and imitating Issa well.

Speak of the original Canada-copy and she will appear...  
>L-looking like me?<p>

I AM CONFUSED! DX

"Hello, people." She says, mimicking me well...

We both seem to notice France in the opposite doorway, talking to Canada.  
>Issa runs and glomps him from behind. Then, she formally picks herself up and sit next to the real moi, ignoring the "Onhonhonhon~~~" coming from France.<p>

Inwardly I pout-glomping France was my job! D:

"What's up?"

England, not noticing anything, picks up his book again and says, "Talking to Issa about plans again and watching you tackle that frog. Why do you do that?" he says, looking at my copycat confusedly.

"He's so cute when he wants to be!" She chirps, doing an original-approved imitation of myself.

"Exactly," I break character and use my real voice.

"Yeah, that was fun!" Issa says in her own voice.

England looks at us, confused. "Wha— I just— You were— ...What?"

Issa and I laugh at England's bemused expression before Issa explains.

"Lauren and I switched places," She says as she replaces her glasses on her face.

England feels her wig.

"Well, I must admit. I am impressed. I do believe we have the answer to our problem, if Lauren chooses to accept." We both look at him, and he alternates stares right back.

"Wha'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" (If Mem-chan doesn't own it, then it's likely that I don't either) Issa asks.

England ignores the terrible grammar while my inner grammar-Nazi has a spasm, and says, "Lauren could make a distraction by pretending to hand over the blood while someone goes and frees Josie and Renae. It's basically the plan that you had, but Lauren goes instead of you. Her blood isn't important. Ah, no offense," He adds in my direction.

"None taken," I lie, waving a hand after straightening the wig.

To be honest, I was offended, to say that the life in me wasn't as important as Issa's.  
>It hurt, and I came here to be freed of that hurt, the unimportance...<br>Issa's voice snaps me out of my inner depression.

"Problem," She says, "I told Lauren that she's not doing this. I'm not going to let her."

It's sad to know that a girl I met not a week ago thought I was worth more than my own country did...  
>I shake my head, both in protest and to clear my thoughts.<p>

"No, I want to help. I want to save your sister and Josie," I protest.

"But what if Germany figures out it's you?" Asks Issa.

"Well, it's my decision," I stand my ground-er, seat, folding my arms over my chest.

"I'll follow you and scream," Issa stubbornly says, and I snort.

"What good will that do?"

Issa retorts, "It'll stop you from going far."

I reply, "Yes, but it gets us both captured."

"Which is bad," England interjects.

"SHH!" We both yell at the same time.

He blinks at the loud noise and waits patiently for us to argue ourselves out.

We bicker for a few more minutes before I exclaim heatedly, "I'm going to help, and you can't stop me!"

She glares at me and I glare right back.  
>She then sighs disapprovingly and leans back, letting her head rest against the top of the sofa.<p>

"I don't want you to. You might get hurt."

I shrug.

"I'm always up for an adventure. I'll be fine. I promise." I suddenly remember Memoranda's message, noting the sad look on Issa's face, and reach over England, beginning to poke Issa repeatedly.

"What are you doing?" She asks.

"A friend told me to," I say, pulling my hand back.

"Whatever," She huffs, obviously still unpleased.

Suddenly I have some kind of mental spasm.

What if Germany finds out?  
>What will he do then?<br>Will he hurt me?  
>Kill me, like in my dream?<br>Is this going to be world war three?  
>Are churros as delicious as they sound?<p>

So many questions!  
>My brain hurts.<br>I need sustenance...

"So," England says to break the awkward silence, "Let's get you ready for a mission."

I grin widely and perform a salute.

"Yes, sir!" Issa follows us into a room, where Austria is sitting; he also is confused with our disguises.

England explains, and, fortunately, Austria approves.  
>So, Operation Switch-Lauren-with-Issa is a go!<br>I'm a genius. =w= **(A/N Message: *brick'd for arrogance* you know who you are. =3=)**

Austria leads us to a room with a lot of computers and high-tech stuff and starts leafing carefully through them. He brings out a golden pin in the delicate shape of a rose and hands it to me.

"This allows us to see and hear what you do," He explains as I attach it to my shirt, "And this," He hands me a small orb, "Allows us to talk to you. It goes in your ear." I shove the little ball in my ear, hoping that it would come out later, "I think that pretty much does it for the electronics..."

"Oh," England says, reaching in his pocket, "I haven't the slightest why I have this, but another won't hurt." He brings out a bracelet with a Union Jack charm.

"It has microphones and cameras and such. Just a little cushion to fall back on. An extra precaution," He says, helping me with the clasp.

"Alright," Austria says, "Let's make sure everything is functional." He sits in a spinny chair and turns on one of the computers.

Austria pulls out a handheld microphone and says into it, "Hello? Is this working?"

As soon as he talks into it, my eardrums explode, foreshadowing my screams and bats at the side of my head.

"Loud! Very loud!" I exclaim as soon as the evil, blasted, bloody little git of a speaker is out of my ear.

England chuckles, and Issa remains silent, apparently still unhappy with my choice.  
>Sorry, tough paperclips, I 'm helping save the world with your approval or not.<p>

After we found the correct volume setting for the earpiece, Austria flips a switch, and I see his back on the computer screen; I move closer in noticing this.  
>I look down at the rose pin and wave my hand in front of it.<br>On the screen, a giant hand paws the air.

"That's so cool!" I exclaim, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Austria then types something on the keyboard, and a second video screen comes up next to the first one.  
>This one's vision is more blurry, but only because this is the one on the bracelet.<p>

"Go out of the room and talk normally," Austria orders; he doesn't boss, only Issa and I can boss. :3

I nod and exit anyway.

"Can you still hear me?" My ear says in Austria's voice.

"Yes," I respond.

"Good. Everything is in working order. Please come back in," Austria says.

I re-enter.

"You do not have to do this," Austria reminds me.

I look at Issa, but she averts her eyes.

"I know. But, question," I raise my hand, "How am I going to get out after I get in?"

They are all silent for a moment.

Then, Issa pipes up.

"Prussia," She says, and I feel my mind inching toward fangirl-spasms.

Austria's head snaps in Issa's direction.

"What?"

Issa explains, "Prussia doesn't like what Germany is doing. He tried to help me when I was first kidnapped. And he didn't tell Germany it was me when I...uh, ran away. Yeah...my disguise wasn't as good that time," She says sheepishly, "So, if he finds out that you're not me, then tell him that you're a friend. I'm pretty sure he'll help you."

I nod, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Austria says, "You're not going to invite him here, are you?"

I can't help but laugh.

"Are you afraid of him?"

Austria shakes his head. "No, I'm afraid of what Hungary will misinterpret."

Issa joins the laughing, and when I hear a giggle from outside sounding akin to Hungary, she laughs harder: she heard it too, I suppose.

"Do we want to send one of the lookalikes, or should we have Russia or someone go with her?" England asks after Issa and I have sobered.

"I like Russia," I peep happily.

"Alright, then. Issa, would you please go find him?" Issa nods and leaves the room.

Minutes later, Issa returns with a slightly worried-looking Russia.

England fills him in completely when we get to the room, and then he agrees whole-heartedly, which makes ne grin, and then he kind of...shies away.

And that makes Issa laugh. And that makes moi break into laughter.  
>We laugh.<br>Then Issa stops laughing, a look of grim remembrance on her face.  
>Which makes me stop laughing and frown.<p>

"Are you ready?" Issa asks.

Despite the knot in my stomach and the pounding in my chest, I nod and grin.

"You're nervous," Issa points out.

"Nope," I say, still grinning widely.

"Yes, you are. You're straining your smile. Maybe if you didn't smile so much, I wouldn't know when you're straining it," She teases.

I pull an exaggerated frowny-face, and then we both laugh.

"Alright, fine. I'm a little scared," I admit, "But then again, I've already died, so, how can I die again? Maybe I'm a cat. That means I have eight lives left."

"If you are a cat, the most you want to worry about is Greece. It's like, BOOM! Instant death-cuddle!" Issa cracks a joke.

That makes us both laugh while I secretly wish now that I do run across Greece...  
>But, isn't it funny how much you laugh when you're in a life-or-death situation, intentionally going into the lion's den, both proverbially and literally?<p>

And when you think about that, it makes you laugh even harder.

"Okay," England announces, "Are you ready?"

Russia and I nod.

"Oh, and Russia, you should have an ear piece, too. And a camera." England hands him an ear-bud and a Russian flag pin.

When we make sure that those are working, we start to leave.

"Wait!" I run back toward Issa and hug her tightly, "I'm going to be fine, alright? Whatever happens is for the best."

For the greater good...  
>Let's just hope I don't end up like Dumbledore in that sense.<p>

Issa hugs me back and sighs, "Just...try not to die, okay? I mean, again. That would be bad."

"Yes, that would be rather depressing. I am the awesome-est person in the world, after all," I laugh.

"Oh, I don't know about that," She jokes, "I think I could give you a run for your money."

We laugh one more time, and then Russia and I teleport away.

We teleport a few hundred feet away and begin walking forward, when I notice the look on Russia's face.

"I'm not Belarus," I state simply and clearly.

"Yes, but you tried to marry me!" He retorts with fear in his voice.

"No. I didn't...I am part Russian as a matter of fact. I'd find it awkward to try and marry my country...plus, it's instinct to glomp you and the other nations." I explain.

I hear a small gasp in my ear and a slight, "No wonder she's so crazy!"

Finally when I feel as if we're in sight range, Russia and I get into character as we just...walk up to the front door.  
>When the psycho himself answers it with a cruel smirk, Russia evilly smiles back, holding me by the upper arm while I pretend to be dazed, confused and scared.<p>

"I want to help you, da? I have been waiting for world domination, but I think it might be lonely with just me. So, the girl and my blood, and all you have to do is be my right-hand man," He deadpans, playing his role well.

So well that I wonder if he really is acting, and that thought scares me. But then again, he knows that he is with me and not Issa, and my momentary doubt vanishes.

"So, what do you say?" Russia purrs.

Germany's sadistic grin widens.

"I say 'Welcome to the team', Russia." My Union Jack bracelet jingles as it bounces around violently, as I am dragged into the Modern-Nazi-Lair-of-Doom.

"You're doing great, love," England whispers into my ear...

"She tried to bring me here by force, stupid girl," Russia growls, giving me a little shake to emphasize his point.

"Easy, now, Russia. Don't hurt her," England murmurs into the microphone.

Russia says, "She said something about a sister. If you have her, why don't you let her go? It is so much more fun to try to see them run away before we crush them," Russia suggested.

Germany seemed to think about it for a while.  
>Then, he casually walked to the door and locked it.<br>I begin to tremble slightly.

"I have a better idea," he says while pulling out a gun and pointing it at us, "Why don't you hand over the spy wear?"

**Dun…dun…DAHHHHHHHHHH.**

**Fear meh!  
>THIS IS A CANON CHAPTER YOU LOVABLE READERS!<br>*Glomps every single one of you***

**I'm so happy to announce that Mem-chan has started the next book~  
>To be honest, I thought it'd be forever until she started the next one… ^-^;<br>**


	10. Cats and Captive Surveillance

**I don't own Hetalia!  
>I don't own My Messed Up Life!<br>I don't own Issa, Josh, Zack, Renae, Sydney, Alex, Rin, Harvey, Dimah, etc.!  
>Go! BWAH<strong>

**YAY, QUICK UPDATE~~!**

**Recap**

_Russia says, "She said something about a sister. If you have her, why don't you let her go? It is so much more fun to try to see them run away before we crush them," Russia suggested._

_Germany seemed to think about it for a while.  
>Then, he casually walked to the door and locked it.<br>I begin to tremble slightly._

_"I have a better idea," he says while pulling out a gun and pointing it at us, "Why don't you hand over the spy wear?"_

**Present**

I stood, petrified, as a figure emerged from the shadows and pointed toward the rose upon my green shirt.  
>Timidly, I unpin the camera, and place it in Japan's hand, along with the ear-bud, and Russia copies my actions.<p>

"Thank you," Germany says mockingly as he places the gun in his pocket and finds some rope to tie my hands with.

Suddenly I realize exactly _who_ was tying me up, and my French side starts to show.

"Bondage, much?" I grin slyly when Germany pauses, then growls angrily and continues with a bit more force.

Finally he finishes tying my wrists, and I stare at the fact he didn't take my bracelet.  
>Apparently I'm not as unlucky as I thought I was…<p>

I am then separated from Russia and dragged into a room, thrown in, and had the door locked behind me.  
>I await my silver-haired rescuer, from whom I heard would appear eventually.<p>

While I am imprisoned, I decide to sing.

"Sekai de, ichii-ban ohime-sama~!" I recite the only lyrics of 'World is Mine' by Hatsune Miku, before getting bored with that song…

"I'm AWESOME!" I shout, flailing slightly from the place I sat—the corner of the nearly-bare room.

After a long while filled with boredom, singing and hopelessness, I end up slowly slipping into pure madness.  
>Or, maybe, I just got hungry…<br>Either one works, y'know?

I glared at one of the four camera's I'd discovered after using my teeth, along with much rolling around and painful arm-twisting, to untie the rope around my wrist.

"**OI!** Potato Jerk! I'm hungry! I want food without drugs, if you'd be so kind, or I'll use a secret weapon on you!" I shout, using my best Romano accent—which was, sadly, very pathetic.

Oh, no, I can do an Italian accent just fine, I just have trouble making my voice deep like Romano's. ._.;

Not long after, Japan comes in, carrying a plate of wurst and mashed potatoes—I stand and bow to him.  
>He may be in the wrong crowd at the moment, but he's still Japan, and frickin' awesome. :3<p>

"If I may ask, what is your secret weapon?" He inquires.

"MY MOOSTACHE OF DOOM!" I had scratched against my finger until it turned red, and it looked like a moustache, and I raised the finger below my nose.

Japan gave off a very slight smile, and I grinned, and he left.

…I wonder how much Issa and England are worrying about me?  
>I've lost my two-way contact and now they can only see and hear what I'm doing…<br>To be honest, I'm terrified out of my wits.  
>I let my emotions show as I sit on the bed, and curl into a ball, raising my bracelet to my lips and hide my face as I whisper into it.<p>

"I'm alright. If you're worrying, don't. I'll continue my mission of world domination later…" I begin to shake my shoulders, feigning tears to the cameras glaring at me from each of the room's corners.

"If you can hear me, Russia has been separated from me. Someone contact Romano. Tell him his brother is in danger. See what happens, when he finds out it's the potato jerk's fault…I'd love to see him in person…" I make an odd, England-when-he's-being-awkward kind of face as I laugh a hiss-like laugh.

_**You, girl. Lauren.**_

My head jerks upward as I look around.  
>When I see nothing, I go back to my communications with my wrist, and am soon interrupted again.<p>

_**Pay attention when I am speaking to you!**_

I look up again and see nothing, but this time, I definitely heard something…  
>Then I notice the faint outline of something sitting on my bed's end.<br>It's slightly small, but not really…

"T-teacup?" My voice cracks.

_**Yes.**_

This isn't what I need right now…  
>I've heard nothing from Teacup since I…<br>But…

"Why did you come back?" I ask, feeling the stare of the cameras as my voice raises slightly.

_**Because you're being stupid. This Issa girl doesn't deserve your loyalty.**_

I glare at the indent on my bed as a very faint outline of a sleek feline begins to materialize.

"She does so!" I retort angrily, remembering to stay in character as my voice keeps rising.

_**Then why isn't she saving you?**_

"Because I just got here!"

_**Right.**_

"You just got here, too, didn't you?"

…_**Maybe.**_

I lower my voice again as I finally see the cat materialize in front of me, red eyes glaring into my own brown-turned-blue ones.

"Was it you who brought me back?"

_**…**_

"Tell me!"

…_**Yes. If you die, I do too. I can't live without you…and I mean it strictly literally.**_

Teacup raises his nose at me, but I reach out to pet him.  
>I feel his fur as much as any real fur, because Teacup is real…<br>To me.

"Thanks, then…"

_**I had to save my fur.**_

"Right."

…_**Shut up.**_

"You started the conversation."

_**Whatever. **_

"Question. Do you have nine lives?"

_**Eight, now, thanks to your stupidity.**_

"YOU TOLD ME TO DO IT!" I roar, still imitating Issa almost unconsciously now.

_**Shut your face, woman! That *beep* German is coming!**_

"Watch your mouth, you idiotic—" I stop mid-sentence when the blonde I now loathe enters the room.

"Who are you talking to?" He demands loudly, glaring around the room as I shrug.

"I talk to myself…" I respond, and soon, I find myself pinned by my neck to the bed's front.

"DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME, ISSA! WHO ARE YOU COMMUNICATING WITH?"

"If you gotta know, potato-breath, I'm talking to my guardian angel, Lauren." I respond, smiling slightly and waving to the cat preparing to strike the German's hind.

And…  
>SLASH.<p>

Germany howls in pain as he jumps away.

"VERDAMMT! WHO WAS THAT?" He turns around, glaring at a speck of dust, and I feel Teacup going back into my head and giving me some anger to use to my advantage.

I keep my mouth shut in silent defiance, and Germany pulls a blade from his pocket, preparing to give me another scar—a real one, this time.

"Tell—me—who—did—that—or—I'll—" He fails to finish his sentence as I pull a Romano and head-butt him in the gut.

He drops his blade and coughs violently for a minute, but when he calms down, I realize that I failed in my decision of valor.

"You little…!" He fails again to make a coherent sentence, but he stomps out, leaving his blade in his anger.

Once again I am lucky!

I grab the weapon and stuff it down my shirt before Germany could reach the camera room or whatever, and Teacup reappears, grinning like the Cheshire—oh, nevermind…  
>I resume my boredom as the imaginary cat stalks around the room.<p>

**=x=**

**At the Team Issa HQ (XD)  
>Issa's POV<strong>

**=x=**

I watch with horror as the cameras placed upon Russia and Lauren's chest suddenly shake, come loose, and are willingly handed to Japan.

"No!" I shout, making the ear-bud on the other end vibrate violently.

"Calm down! She still has the secret one!" Iggy says.

I look at the middle screen and realize that he is correct.  
>It's shaky, but we can still see and hear what happens…<p>

Well, we could, until Germany tied Lauren's hands together behind her back where the only view was her hind.  
>France was happy about that.<p>

Suddenly—

"Bondage, much?"

"I 'AVE TAUGHT HER WELL! OHONHONHON~"

**SMACK.**

The camera on the bracelet shook a little harder as I paid attention to it instead of the comical nations.  
>Lauren was lead into a room, shoved in ungracefully, and the door clicked behind her.<p>

After a large amount of grunting, rolling, camera-quakes, and assorted other noises and motions, Lauren's camera was free.

After a few minutes of silence, suddenly—

"Sekai de~ Ichii-ban ohime-sama~! …."

"I'm AWESOME!" I saw Austria glare at the screen, irritated with Lauren's choice of words.

After a while of nothingness, besides a bit more singing (mostly Evanescence songs), Lauren shouts, "OI! Potato jerk! I'm hungry!" And other nonsense, but the word 'weapon' caught all of our ears.

Moments later, Japan rushes in and Lauren stands; her bracelet shakes, indicating movement, and when Japan bowed, I guessed that she had as well.  
>Well, I guess my ridiculous friend is going to blow the whole operation with her fangirl spasms…<br>Knowing this, I facepalm.  
>I don't even want to <em>know <em>what would happen if she meets Spain…or Romano.

Poor nations.

"If I may ask, what is your secret weapon?" I hear Japan say, smooth voice scratchy through the microphone quality.

"MY MOOSTACHE OF DOOM!" Lauren shouts, and suddenly the camera jerks upward, revealing Japan's face—they seem to be either the same height, or close…pfft.

Lauren's short! X3

A few minutes later, the camera shakes again, and is consumed by darkness—some of us assume the worst, but I listen closely for any sound indications—suddenly—

"I'm alright. If you're worrying, don't. I'll continue my mission of world domination later… If you can hear me, Russia has been separated from me. Someone contact Romano. Tell him his brother is in danger. See what happens, when he finds out it's the potato jerk's fault…I'd love to see him in person…" The darkness is moved as her shoulders do, and the scariest face I'd seen on Lauren's (or my, I guess) facial features flashes on the screen.

I do worry about her, and no, not (just) her sanity.  
>I told her not to go, and if she gets hurt, I'll feel responsible.<br>What if Germany finds out that she's taken my place?  
>That won't be pretty…<br>It worries me, also, that I can't talk to her back.  
>I can only sit back and watch as she sticks her neck out…for me.<p>

She began laughing with a kind of hiss-type noise behind it…then, suddenly, she begins talking to something else.

"T-Teacup?"

Pause.

"Why did you come back?" She sounds troubled, and slightly irritated, though still in character.

Pause.

"She does so!" An indignant tone crosses her imitation of myself.

Another pause.

"Because I just got here!" Irritation.

Pause.

"You just got here, too, didn't you?" Skeptical tone.

Pause.

"…Was it you who brought me back?" A suspicious tone.

Silence.

"Tell me!" Anger.

A long, silent pause.

"…Thanks, then." Grateful quietness.

Pause.

"Right." She elongated the word—more skepticism.

Silence.

"You started the conversation." Smugness.

Another pause.

"Question. Do you have nine lives?" Curiosity.

A short pause, and suddenly, she was enraged again.

"YOU TOLD ME TO DO IT!" She roared, angrier than I'd ever seen her—and I saw her when France eated her cookie…

I had no idea that someone's arm could twist so far back. o3o;

"Watch your mouth, you idiotic—" Suddenly the door slams open, and Lauren jumps back.

"Who are you talking to?"

"I talk to myself…" She was being honest—I've heard her muttering darkly to herself sometimes in corners.

The camera shakes violently, and then is still, but the only thing it shows is fluff and white—a pillow.

"DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME, ISSA! WHO ARE YOU COMMUNICATING WITH?"

"If you gotta know, potato-breath, I'm talking to my guardian angel, Lauren."

I facepalm.

Suddenly, Germany jumps away from Lauren as she raises her camera to show us…  
>Germany's rainbow boxers. e_o<p>

"VERDAMMT! WHO WAS THAT?"

Germany pulls a blade from his pocket, preparing to give Lauren a scar identical to mine.

"Tell—me—who—did—that—or—I'll—"

Suddenly the camera shakes violently again.  
>Another anguished cry from the German…<br>Lauren…what did you do?

"You little…!" Germany could honestly not make a coherent sentence as he began to cough violently.

Germany stomps out of the room Lauren was trapped in, and suddenly, the camera reaches down for the dagger Germany had conveniently left in his rage.  
>Lauren…stuffs it down her shirt…<p>

A trickle of something warm began flowing over my shoulder, and I glance back to see that France had a bit of a problem with his nose.

"Onhonhonhon~!" He laughed, making a face similar to that of Lauren's earlier 'world domination' face.

As soon as the green fabric was there, it was gone again, and the camera shuddered and revealed Lauren's lips.

"I swear, Francis, if you think anything about that, I'll get another corn cob specially for you," She hisses, and France stops Onhonhon-ing.

"W-wha—" England sputters.

"Don't ask," I reply dully, watching as Lauren goes back to curl up on her bed.

"**My hands hold safely to my dreams…clutching tightly, not one has fallen…so many years, I've shaped each one…reflecting my heart, showing who I am. Now you're asking me to show, what I'm holding oh-so-tightly..can't open my hands, can't let go…does it matter? Should I show you? Can't you let me go…?" **She sang with a pitiful excuse for a smile, her brown—er, blue—eyes closed in content.

I smiled, but suddenly stopped when I realized a tear was running from her eye.

"What have I gotten myself into…?" She mutters to herself with a laugh, barely audible.

The door bangs open, and Lauren jumps up, causing the camera to shake again.  
>She uses the arm the bracelet was on to wipe the tears away from her face, and glares at the intruder—I jump in surprise.<p>

"I have arrived! I AM AWESOME!"

A girly squeal emitted from the speakers—though from who, I'm not…entirely sure… o.o

* * *

><p><strong>Ve~<br>Chaptah….this number…is complete!  
><strong>

**Review's replies, starting from the beginning of the whole thing!**

**CelticGirl7: Yeah, my mind is weird like that. :3**

**Memoranda: Veh~ Thank yuuuu~**

**Memoranda(2): Thank yuuu! Again! I love you, too! (Like a sistah. :3) Veh!**

**CelticGirl7(2): Hola~! *Churros, no?***

**CelticGirl7(3): Muahaha! I got the FaceBook thing from a motivational poster. It's Japan shoving a book at Italy's face, and it says, "FACEBOOK: you're doing it wrong." X3 Fankyew, I love it too~**

**Memoranda(3): Well, grammatical errors aside, it's mah pleasure to help…and write. I love writing. This Lauren is so fun to write. X3**

**GermanRainbows: Yay! We're so awesome! :D France-and-Russia-glomping-Laurens-with-brown-hair-and-eyes UNITE! X3**

**GermanRainbows(2): Fankyew X3**

**CelticGirl7(4): Ve~ The song makes me sad, and yet I love it~~~ Just like this one movie that I watched, it was like, so, AWESOME! (GO POLAND) Fankyew~ :3**

**Caset290: Fankyew. I quite like it when I'm Prussian. (Signed, Lauren) XD Thanks, seriously. Here's a cookie. *insert virtual cookie of awesome cookie-ness here***

**Memoranda(4): I love it too! :D**

**CelticGirl7(5): *High five* YESH! Hehe, I agree. Lauren and Dimah are quite adorable…that's my new Hetalia OTP. DimahxLauren! :D Before, it was HRExChibitalia...because who can resist the cute? **

**Memoranda(5): VEH! I'm Prussian, see, Iggy? *epically pokes England* I win! X3**

**Caset290(2): Holy churros, that's scary… o3o It's creepy to me when I'm half asleep and suddenly my cat jumps up onto my bed and scares the living daylights out of me. XD**

**Memoranda(6): Lol, we all love Mattie. But you can haz, I has Dimah. X3 *Onhonhonhon***

**CelticGirl7(6): I love karaoke, too. X3 …Four words: America. Singing. Tik. Tok. …and another three: Fairy. Princess. America. (Look up the 'Spain's Influence' comic, I think…it'll all make sense then. XD**

**CelticGirl7(7): Veh, it's hard not to be Memoranda's friend. She's just too awesome to not have friends. o3o I would, too. I'd be like, "OMG!" But, I'd have it be the Bad Touch/Friends Trio. ;D Love the Spain! X3 SPAAAAAAIN. (Sorry. Feeling Spanish lately. Fusososo~)**

**CelticGirl7(8): Fankyew. It is quite adorable to see Iggy and Lauren be all like, "whee, we're British! Fear our cooking and tsundere-ness!" I'm glad Mem-chan isn't actually hurt. X3 If she ever did, I'd stop her supply of Canadians. **

**Memoranda(7): Speaking of the Canadians in the above message, I was at an amusement park today, and in the parking lot there was a car from Ontario. MATTHEWWWW~ *Russian-face* Why so small, Latvia? Da. ^J^ *Brick'd* **

**Luna's Insanity: Fankyeewwww~ The sadness puts depth to the character, and I'm glad I did that because if I didn't she'd be a Mary-Sue. And that would make Mr. Biggles upset. (And when Mr. Biggles gets upset…people _DIE!_ XD just kidding.) I owe you a oneshot now. :3**

**CHURROS TO ALL OF YOU! :D **


	11. Germany does not like MCR

**Lauren is bored and thus a chapter is born that is not canon.  
><strong>**YAY FILLERS FOR CHAPTERS ALREADY UPLOADED~!  
><strong>**Don't own anything. Moooooooo.  
><strong>**This happens before the 3rd chapter of Our Messed Up Lives. :D**

* * *

><p>I sat on my 'prison' bed, jamming out loud to the music in my head.<p>

_I never said I'd lie and wait forever  
><em>_If I died, we'd be together  
><em>_I can't always just forget her  
><em>_But she could try  
><em>

_At the end of the world  
><em>_Or the last thing I see  
><em>_You are  
><em>_Never coming home, never coming home  
><em>_Could I?  
><em>_Should I?  
><em>_And all the things that you never ever told me  
><em>_And all the smiles that are ever ever_

_Ever_

_Get the feeling that you're never  
><em>_All alone and I remember now  
><em>_At the top of my lungs, in my arms  
><em>_She dies  
><em>_She dies!_

_At the end of the world  
><em>_Or the last thing I see  
><em>_You are  
><em>_Never coming home, never coming home  
><em>_Could I?  
><em>_Should I?  
><em>_And all the things that you never ever told me  
><em>_And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me  
><em>_Never coming home, never coming home  
><em>_Could I?  
><em>_Should I?  
><em>_And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me  
><em>_For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me_

_If I fall  
><em>_If I fall  
><em>_Down_

_At the end of the world  
><em>_Or the last thing I see  
><em>_You are  
><em>_Never coming home, never coming home  
><em>_Never coming home, never coming home  
><em>_And all the things that you never ever told me  
><em>_And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me  
><em>_Never coming home, never coming home  
><em>_Could I?  
><em>_Should I?  
><em>_And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me  
><em>_For all the ghosts that are never gonna…_

One of the best American bands I've heard for punk rock in a long time wrote that song.  
>I loved it, and how much it explained something like me.<p>

"SHUT UP!" A loud bang on the door follows Germany's loud, angered voice.

"MAKE ME!" I shout back, and before anything happens, I fling my shoe at the door.

He just grunts and walks away.  
>I dance around, singing again as I twirl around, my arms spread out like a helicopter.<p>

_They're coming to take me away, ha ha  
><em>_They're coming to take me away, haha, heehee, hoho  
><em>_To the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time,  
><em>_And the nice young men in their clean white coats are coming to take me away  
><em>_HAHA!_

Another angry shout rang from the hallway.

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

"NO!"

And the cycle continually repeated, until finally, Germany sent Japan in.

"Miss Issa, would you please stop singing? Mr. Germany doesn't seem to like it very much…" He said nervously.

"Oh, I'm sure he doesn't…he's just a big meanie with Herr Schtick up his—"

"I CAN HEAR YOU!"

I begin to snicker, which slowly turns to gales of laughter—and the slightest of smiles crosses Japan's face, though whether through apprehensive fear that if he doesn't I'd kill him or actual amusement, I can not tell.  
>Oh, well~<br>After that, Japan left, and I decided to shut up because I was running out of songs to sing…  
>I lay onto my bed and began to drift to sleep, dreaming of purple unicorns with pink and purple streaks in their manes.<br>And Chibimano in a tomato suit.

And England, wearing Harry Potter robes…  
>And the Phantom of the Opera.<p>

When I woke up, I was bored and stuff, so I began creeping through a world history book placed in the old bookshelf.  
>I began to get angrier the further I read, especially a fact about France that I would yell at him (or stab him) for later.<br>Teacup peeked over my shoulder as I read about the Parisians in the 16th century.  
>His back arched and he let out a loud (to me) hiss.<p>

_**What cruelty! **_

"I know, right? I'mma stab him so hard … on my way outta here, let's grab a few corn cobs…" I mumble, smirking evilly at the thought of what France will suffer through.

* * *

><p>On (real) Issa's end of the camera<br>England's POV

* * *

><p>Oh no…Lauren's talking to herself again.<br>I have to ask her if she can see anything.  
>I can because I'm a nation, but…it's worrying, her case…<p>

"_I know, right? I'mma stab him so hard…" _

Something about corn cobs was muttered, and I began to wonder who she was speaking of—Germany or someone else…  
>Maybe it's France?<br>I hope so.

* * *

><p>With Lauren<p>

* * *

><p>As I read through, I began to read about the Asians…<p>

_'In certain parts of Asia, a serving of cat meat is considered beneficial to women of certain age.'_

I began to spazz out, and a set of claws dug into my arm—

"OUCH! I didn't know about that! Shall I yell at China about it?" I ask Teacup through gritted teeth, and he purrs at the thought, his tail flicking around in content as my arm begins to bleed.

Eventually, I get bored and go back to sleep…  
>And dream of destroying France. X3<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Le the end! :D<br>****Random fact: in Britain, black cats are good luck!  
><strong>**Oh, Britain….  
><strong>**Y U SO MESSED UP.  
><strong>**I still want to visit Britain, though…. 3 XD  
><strong>**Okay, so I think France is creeping outside my fire escape…  
><strong>**There's tapping and scratching at the window…. O3o HELP ME.  
><strong>**If I don't update within the next month, call 911…  
><strong>**AND HIDE YO SEALAND, HIDE YO FINLAND, HIDE YO SEALAND, HIDE YO FINLAND  
><strong>**AND HIDE YO SWEDEN, CUZ FRANCE'S INVADIN' ERRBODY OUT HERE. :U**


	12. Freedom, Fluff and Fixing Renae

**I don't own Axis Powers: Hetalia!**

**I don't own anything you might recognize!**

**So here's the next Chaptah. O3o YAY.**

* * *

><p>I see the white hair and the red eyes and I black out completely.<p>

"!" I shout in Japanese, tackling the awesome person in front of me.

At the same time, we both let out a loud, girly (for him—I'm already female) squeal.

"OHMYFLYINGMINTBUNNYIT'SPRUSSIAICAN'TBELIEVEYOU'REHERE!" I shout…

…In my head.  
>I'm not <span>that<span> monumentally stupid…  
>Often.<p>

Prussia jumped up.

"Mein Gott, Issa! Get a grip on yourself, I know I'm awesome, but—YOU'RE SPEAKING JAPANESE!" Prussia shouts at me, and I jump back slightly.

So the last contact between Issa and Prussia, mah buddy couldn't speak Japanese?  
>Heh, strange…<p>

"Yes, and sorry. I just wanted to—to thank you for giving me my necklace back…" I mutter, remembering a small—but now crucial—detail from her adventures with the Prussian.

"Aw, it's nothing. I had to be awesome!" Prussia smugly announces.

* * *

><p>In the control room of Germany's evil lair<p>

* * *

><p>Germany glared at the camera screens, fuming at how Issa trusted his brother so much.<br>Why?  
>And why doesn't she shake with fear, like last time?<br>After a few minutes, Germany stood from his computer chair.

"I have business to attend to. I will be back momentarily."

With that, he went to his room to fix his trousers.  
>He <em>knew<em> it was a bad day to wear the rainbow boxers…

Japan watched with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

><p>Back with Lauren and Prussia<p>

* * *

><p>"So, Issa, what happened since I last talked to you…?" Prussia trailed off.<p>

"…If the room wasn't so filled with bugging equipment and cameras, I could tell you…" I mumble, narrowing my eyes.

Prussia sighed and shook his head.

"I can't help you with that one…My little brother is being so unawesome…" He mumbled, and I rolled my eyes.

Suddenly, Germany slammed the door open.

"Bruder! Leave the prisoner alone, I need to have a word with her!" He shouts, and Prussia quickly leaves with an apologetic look toward me.

Germany slams the door behind the Prussian and then advances toward me.  
>I get that gut feeling that I'm going to be in some sort of pain before he's gone—and so I curl up into a ball at the bed's headboard.<br>I see Germany stick his hands into his pockets, and he pulls out a new dagger.  
>I glare my own pair of daggers at him, and he chuckles.<p>

"You've become quite rambunctious, haven't you, Issa?"

In all honesty, I'm getting tired of being called Issa.

I want to be Lauren Cohen again.  
>I want to have my brown hair, and my brown eyes, and my slightly tan skin.<br>I want to see my friends…  
>Austria, America, the real Issa, Hungary, England, Russia (he just has to be okay. He's Russia, after all.), Alex, Sydney, Rin, Josh…even Zack.<br>I know there's something weird about that kid…  
>I just don't know what.<br>I refused to answer to the German, and he held the tip of the dagger to a pressure point on my neck.

"What are you planning?"

I say nothing in silent defiance to his cracked-up mind.  
>The point digs deeper into my skin and I feel lightheaded.<p>

"What are you planning?" He repeats a bit more forcefully, adding emphasis to 'what' and 'planning'.

I glare harder at him, and I see Teacup behind him, nearly begging for me to let him scratch the dummkopf in front of me.  
>I stared at the German holding the blade near my face.<p>

"TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING!" He roared, rage blazing in his cold blue eyes.

"I won't tell you anything!" I shouted back, finally speaking as I began weakly fighting my fear and anger.

This was what it was like, being a prisoner of a war in a dream become reality?  
>This dream, that I'd dreamed of since I'd first found Hetalia...this happy, war-free world I used to escape my own...was crumbling at my feet.<br>And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Fine, then. Any last words?" Germany asked sadistically, snapping me from my depressing thoughts, as he raised the blade in his hands to quickly end my life.

"Y-yes..." I mumble, and he stops, obviously shocked by the sadness and concern replacing my hate and fear, "Was...is...the story of Albrecht Durer...true?"

My words stabbed him as he was about to stab me.

I could tell by the way he began to shake...

For those who haven't heard this, there was a German artist named Albrecht Durer.  
>He was a wonderful painter.<br>One of his most famous paintings is that of a pair of praying hands.  
>The story behind it is touching, really…<p>

Legend says that Albrecht and his brother _both_ wished to study art, but being from a family of 18 children, they were too poor to afford it.  
>The two brothers agreed that one would work the mines while the other went to study art for a few years—and then they would switch places…<br>But that's not how things worked out.  
>As the story goes, Albrecht went first to study art and won quick fame for his talent.<br>When he returned home to trade places with his brother, his brother wouldn't hear of it.  
>He claimed that he could in no way take Albrecht's place since Albrecht's hands were skilled and refined, and his were gnarled and twisted from working the mines.<br>Albrecht's brother insisted that Albrecht stay in school while he continued to work the mines.  
>In gratitude for his brother's sacrifice, Albrecht supposedly painted his brother's hands—well-worn and clasped in prayer…<p>

I could see the memory of the story upon the now saddened German face as he stared through me.

"Why do you care? I am your enemy, treat me as such!" He demanded, rage returning.

My therapist-side began to edge through my horror.

"I want to know because I read about it…before all of this happened. What made you change like this? What did this to you, Germany? Yes, I know who you are, now…" I play my role well, and Germany's face softens, just a little.

In this moment, I realize an important thing about this man, and insanity.  
>For some people, like England, insanity means monsters and horrific images, forever living before your eyes.<br>Day after day is a living nightmare, and nothing can be done but to sit back and be forced through the terror, through the pain…  
>While some cases, like most people back at home, insanity means complete eccentricity—being random, spouting random things and liking random Germany's case, insanity means something horrible.<p>

It causes a glass-like effect.

When too much pressure is put on a sheet of glass, one day...  
>It snaps.<p>

Suddenly, Germany steps back, lowering the dagger that I began to hate.  
>I sat up, and he glares at me, but leaves the room again.<br>I begin wondering what's going on back in Austria…

What's Issa doing?  
>How is she feeling?<br>What's Mem-chan doing?  
>Has she kept her word to stop hurting herself? <strong>(STILL FICTIONAL, PEOPLE.)<strong>

What about Dimah…?  
>He must be so worried about Russia…<br>I wonder if he's worrying about me, too?  
>With my luck, he's probably only worrying about Russia…<p>

Gilbird flies in through the window, and nestles himself onto my head, chirping crossly at the stiffness of my wig.  
>Prussia creeped in afterward, and just kind of—well, yanked me outta the window…<br>I grabbed the history book on the way out of the glass portal and stuffed it under my arm; I stared at my albino savior for a moment, and then looked around.  
>Some people were standing behind him.<br>Josie, a little girl that looks a bit like Issa—I also noticed the amount of metal bars that were sawed off of my window.

"Issa!" The little girl shouted, going to tackle me.

"R-Renae?" I ask curiously—was this the little sister that Issa fretted over, no matter how hard she tried to hide it?

"Y-yes! Issa, it's me! You're okay!" She says, beginning to cry tears of joy as she tackles me in a hug.

I feel a surge of guilt, and pain in my stomach—perhaps it was the fact that her unclipped nails dug into my sides—and looked at Renae sadly.

"Renae, I—" I pause, "I'm…glad you're alright…"

I couldn't make her worry any more than she appeared to have been…  
>Suddenly, she became weary and fainted half-way through the hug.<br>I struggled to place her in Prussia's open arms, and suddenly, everything turns white as I clutch the man's sleeve.

* * *

><p>"Danke, Prussia." I say, smiling at him as the four of us as we reach safe land.<p>

Prussia's eyes widen at my German.

"B-but—you can—you can only—Japanese—but I—what the—?"

"I'm not really Issa…" I mumble, making sure Renae is still unconscious.

Prussia nearly drops the poor child.

"WHAT?" He shouts, and Josie and I both loudly shush him.

I look around for any nearby blonde Germans, and when I see none I still lower my voice to a whisper.

"My name is Lauren. I'm…" I pause, trying to make myself sound awesome like Prussia, "…I'm a British spy. I was sent in place of Issa to rescue people—and apparently, I ended up being rescued by you…" I mumble.

He smirks, "Well, of course you did! I'm just that awesome!"

I give him a soft side-hug in fear of knocking Renae out of his arms.  
>He turns a shade of red, but just keeps grinning.<p>

"I'm a chick magnet, too!" He shouts, and I facepalm, and flick him in the back of the head.

"Is that any way to treat your rescuer?" He asks, pouting.

"If he's being French, then yes."

I could almost hear France wail dramatically…

Prussia pouted, and I sighed.

"I am truly sorry if I have wronged you in any way. In compensation of your happiness, I give you this," I go over my chivalrous act that usually won people's happiness back as I give him another hug, "Also, I will allow you—if I ever return home—to read my book."

"You're writing a book?" Prussia asks, surprised again.

"No. But the book is called, _The Book of Awesome_." **(No joke, it's real. It's by Neil Pasricha, I swear. I don't own it.)**

As we managed to finally wander back to Austria's home in about five minutes, I stop and stare at the house with new beauty in my eyes.  
>I take in a welcomed breath of freedom as I open the heavy wooden doors, stepping over the threshold that I missed so dearly.<br>Before I can yell, 'Lucy, I'm home!', Josie, Prussia, Renae and I am surrounded by people.

Jia Li, Yao, England, France, Austria, Issa—Dimah...?

**(Here I am bored. KNEE BRACES ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. Stupid floating knee-cap! DX XD I'm hungry... Ooh, look, mini powdered donuts. YAY! Thank you Flying Mint Bunny~~~~)**

I stare curiously around as England and France abduct Prussia – most likely questioning him – and Issa is laugh-crying…  
>Suddenly, a large, warm pair of arms wrap around me in a tight hug.<br>As I always do when I'm surprised and I don't recognize the heat signature (don't judge me, I'm weird), I flinch, and look up at my captor.

"W-wha—Dimah?"

He leans down slightly and whispers in my ear, "Don't do that again."

A shiver goes down my spine and my face heats up, and the butterflies that I feel when I'm around Dimah begin to fly everywhere—my stomach, my lungs…my brain…  
>I laugh quietly and hug him back, taking his sunflower-y scent.<br>For a moment, everything is peaceful and I am floating on air…then I feel another pressure on my back—this time, a familiar amount of heat.

"Way to kill the moment, Issa!" I tease, and she just ignores me.

Dimah lets go, and allows me to hug Issa and listen to her babblings, and then she lets go and zips off, with some forgotten memory dug up inside her head.  
>I laugh, hiding my feeling of apprehension as I glance at Dimah again—and my face heats up, again—because his face is nearly red as mine.<p>

"Where's mother Russia?" He asks, and I felt my face fall into seriousness.

"Prussia said he couldn't find him…" I say, with a feeling of mixed dread, anger, sadness and overall confusion weighing down my feelings of freedom and overlong exposure to the disease known as Awesome-itis that only Prussia carries.

A silence passes before he speaks again, this time with a little bit of hope, but the fear—no matter how small—outweighed the optimism.

"Will he be alright? It's not his blood that Lud—Germany wants, right?"

The bit of hope shines through the fear in both Dimah and myself as I shake my head.

"No…he might be angry that it's not him, but Russia's tough. I think he'll be okay until we can go rescue him." I say, and begin to think as my mind processes the other wars and battles I've learned about.

Dimah nods, and says, "I hope so."

After a moment of silence, and head-itching from this ridiculous wig, (what's the point of wearing it? I don't need a disguise anymore, do I?) I reach up and pull it off my head.  
>The stale scent of wig-ness and glue is gone and replaced by the strawberry-and-cream scent of my own brown, blonde-streaked hair…<br>Then I notice that Dimah's hand moved…toward mine.  
>As I realize this, I blush an ever-darker shade of crimson, rivaling the color of Prussia's eyes.<br>For a second, we just kind of stand there, blushing that red that I didn't think possible, and then Harvey walks by and I get apprehensive.  
>He's French, and if he picks up on this moment—which it seems nearly impossible that he won't—who knows what he'll try?<p>

I glance back at the blonde, and he's midway through an eye-roll as he grabs Dimah's hand, then my own, and places them together.  
>I feel the kind of adrenaline that can only be felt when being captured by a psychotic German, or having a dagger at your throat one minute and then laughing mentally at the aforementioned German's rainbow boxers the next.<br>I feel my face inch closer to a furnace every second, but neither one of us feels the urge to pull back…

_**Ugh. This is boring…**_

Harvey smiles, and I laugh nervously as Dimah does.

"T-that was weird," I comment, trying to relieve the awkward tension.

"Yeah…" Dimah agrees.

Harvey throws his hands up, and in an frustrated yet still good-natured tone, yells, "Just kiss each other already!"

Blissfully ignorant, Dimah stares curiously at the Frenchman, but my face transformed itself, somehow, into an active volcano.

_**I agree with French-Fry.**_

"B-but I don't think that he would want to, I mean—I'm just—" As scrambled as my brain is at the moment, I'm thoroughly surprised that I managed to say this nearly-coherent sentence in any language; I end it with a string of giggles.

Harvey just laughs, in a very French way, and pushes Dimah and I closer together.  
>After a moment of staring at the wall, then Harvey and then at myself, Dimah gradually begins to hyperventilate.<br>I can't help but laugh as his violet eyes dilate, and I smile up at him calmly.

"You're hyperventilating…'

"What?" Dimah asks, in an unusually high-pitched voice, "No I'm not!"

Ah, denial…

Then, Dimah leans down, and I brace myself, refusing the extremely powerful urge to glomp him as he—  
>Kisses me on the cheek…?<br>I look at him curiously through blue contacts as he ducks his head down in embarrassment.  
>I blush a bright red.<p>

_**I'm tired of this, do something interesting! I beg of you! Don't make me come out there!**_

Teacup may be annoying—

_**Hey!**_

—But he's a part of me, and my instincts tell me to agree with him and I let him give me some courage.

"You missed," I state, clear as day and looking right at him.

"Wh—what was that?" He sputters, and I steel my courage.

"You missed," I repeat, and before either one of us manages another rational thought, I jump up and kiss him with caution.

On the lips.

I feel the most pleasant prickling sensation pass through me, along with another volcano's worth of face-heat, and an infinite amount of joy…with a sprinkle of insane giggling inside my head.

"_**It's about time!"**_ Harvey and Teacup chorus, in French and in English respectively, and Harvey claps while Teacup rolls his red kitty eyes.

"Oh, shut up," I tell them both, flushing _again_.

Dimah raises his hand to his mouth, feeling his lips tentatively as if this was some daydream of his.  
>I laugh again at his 'befuzzled' expression ('befuzzled is a word Issa uses often) as a question buzzes through my mind.<p>

"You just…" Dimah mumbled, shocked.

"W-was it…alright?" I question, a feeling of hope and dread snowballing into one awkward cupcake batter.

The feeling is relieved as Dimah nods vigorously, "Uh huh."

We both laugh, but it's cut short by Issa's appearance as she runs over.

"Lauren, Renae's awak—" She stops, noticing the red and frazzled yet happy expressions on Dimah's and my faces, "Nevermind, I never came. Go back to…w-whatever you were doing…"

"Yeah, you'd better run!" I yell teasingly at her retreating form with a laugh.

"So…" Dimah says, and I turn back to him, "Are you my…girlfriend…now?"

It seemed like the word was foreign on his tongue, a new substance, like a child savoring a new kind of sweet.

"…D-do you want me to be?" I ask, hesitant, cautious…

"Yes~!" He chirps, and glomps me happily.

I look over Dimah's shoulder and see his little sister, Alina, wandering over, looking drowsy and rubbing her eye with her knuckle like children do.  
>She tugs on Dimah's shirt, getting his attention.<p>

"Dimah, I can't sleep. And I stopped bleeding. Can I stay awake now?" She mumbles, and Dimah grins and picks her up.

"I don't know. Are you physically able to stay awake?" He asks, and Alina scowls at him.

"_May_ I stay awake now?" She grumbles, and Dimah gives his approval with a simple, "Yes."

"Why were you hugging Ms. Lauren?" Alina questions innocently.

I mentally laugh at how cute she is, compared to Belarus…  
>An awkward silence passes between the siblings as Dimah looks nervous, searching for answers.<br>Alina just stares at him, curious, but silent, and expecting an answer from her brother.  
>I can't help but let my mental laughter make itself known to the world.<p>

"Uh…" Is all Dimah can manage, so I begin to think of a cover-up for him…

Ding!

"Do you not hug others when you are happy to see them?" I ask Alina, and she thinks for a moment, and nods.

"I guess I do…Only not to boys. The only boy who doesn't have cooties is my big brother," She explains, and I giggle again.

"Exactly. That's why I was hugging him!" I say, and Alina nods in approval; Dimah sets her on the floor.

"I am going to leave now. It's too crowded in here," She says, and begins to walk away.

"Bye~!" I chirp after her, and turn back to Dimah, "I need to go meet Issa's sister. D'you want to come with me?"

"Alright," He responds, and follows me to where Issa and Renae are.

I never quite noticed how horribly thin Renae is until now as she lay on the sofa, with Issa tending to her worriedly at her side.

With concern in her voice, Issa says, "She _was_ awake, but she's not now…I think something's wrong."

A layer of shock passes through me, but upon closer inspection, Renae looks fine, aside from her worrying slenderness.

"How do you know?" I ask, not wanting anything to be wrong—I'm not superhuman, I don't have X-ray abilities—Issa would know if Renae has, or had, internal injuries or diseases that may have flared up because the dummkopf Germany wants to be a jerk-muffin.

"She never breathes through her mouth. Ever." Issa states worriedly, and I decide to give a closer inspection.

I kneel down and examine Renae carefully, and after thinking about 50 words a second, I ask, "Well, have you tried this?"

I put my hand over Renae's mouth and clamp her nose shut gently.

"Uh, I don't—that's not the best way—um…" Issa stutters herself out and bites worriedly on her lip as she trusts me to awaken her little sister.

And, as I hypothesized, it worked perfectly—she jerked awake.  
>Her eyes, the same color as Issa's—and currently, mine—and wildly begins to flail until she spots her sister.<p>

"I-Issa?" She croaks, her voice hoarse and scratchy, and Issa nods, leaning in for a hug.

Renae hesitates.

"Say something," She mumbles, and Issa replies curiously with, "Um…something?"

My eyes widen a bit as I realize what's going on—but, Renae pushing Issa away from her with a shocked look on her face kind of helped that along.  
>Renae…thinks that Issa…isn't Issa…<p>

"W-who are you? Wh-where am I? W-why is he here?" Renae points worriedly at Prussia, whom is hovering behind Issa and I.

"Lauren—"

"On it," I respond to Issa's unspoken request, and I scoot toward Renae, who curls up in a defensive ball at the end of the sofa.

"Hello, I'm Lauren…" I begin in English, searching for the right words to comfort a child, "Don't you recognize your sister?"

Renae glances with fright in Issa's direction, "Th-that's not Issa."

A puzzled look works itself onto my face, as it does on Issa's.

"What do you mean? I'm sure that's Issa." I respond, pause, and add to Issa in Japanese, "You are Issa, right?" She nods, and I go back to English, "Yeah, I'm sure that's Issa."

Renae shakes her head, "N-no she's not. I-Issa speaks English."

I pause for a moment, and then remember something important: "You saw Zack get hit with the light, right?" I try to make my tone gentle and calming, though it doesn't seem to work this time.

"H-how did you know? You're working for HIM, aren't you?" Renae demands, stuffing herself further into the leather of the sofa.

"No, I promise," I say, holding a 'scout's honor' hand sign, and Renae eyes me wearily.

"No, I didn't see the light…but he talked to me in Japanese," She answers stiffly.

"Issa got hit with the light, too. It's not her fault that she can't speak English anymore. I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, that none of us are going to hurt you." I say seriously, looking Renae in the eye.

She alternates weary stares at Issa, me, Dimah, Prussia, and others who have gathered in the room, "How can I be sure?"

A terse silence passes through the room, and then Issa reaches to the back of her neck and undoes the chain to her musical necklace.

"You got this for my birthday, remember, Doodlebug?" I stare questioningly at Issa's use of the strange word, and mentally tell myself to ask her about it later—but the treble clef necklace sparks a remembrance in the child's eyes.

Renae looks at the pendant, then at Issa, tears forming in her eyes, "Issa?"

Issa nods, and Renae glomps her sister tightly, tears freely drenching Issa's shoulder.

"I was so scared! He was going to kill me to make you suffer! He was going to torture you!" She sobs into Issa's shoulder.

"Shh…it's okay, you're alright…" Issa mumbles, stroking Renae's hair and letting her cry herself out.

Not long after, Renae gets a grip on herself and asks, "Where's Zack?"

Something sparks in my memory about the ominous feeling I had about Zack, but I stay quiet until Issa says, "I don't know," which I translate to English.

Renae stands up and takes a few steps before pausing and collapsing.

"Renae!" Issa gasps, scared.

"Ow," Renae mutters.

"She's sick. I told ya that already," Prussia says.

Renae shuffles closer to her sister.

"I don't like him. He scares me," She confides.

"He's the one that helped us escape, though," I try to reason.

Renae nods, "I know, but he's just creepy."

Issa laughs, and nods, and I pout—but not as much as Prussia is at the moment.

"He's too awesome to be creepy," I argue.

Renae doesn't seem to agree, but she holds her tongue.  
>Issa kneels down and pulls Renae onto her back, for a piggy-back ride.<p>

"C'mon, you need medicine." Again, I translate for my friend.

Renae nods.

"Hey, she wouldn't take medicine from me!" Prussia protests.

"You're a stranger to her," Issa reminds him, and he nods.

"Yeah, but..." He thinks of a reason to argue, then shrugs, "I got nothin'. Carry on."

Arthur and I respond at the same time, "'Keep calm and carry on.'"

Issa snickers, and says, "'Keep calm and let me sleep.'"

I laugh, and My Chemical Romance's _'Welcome to the Black Parade'_ plays through my head…

_We'll carry on, we'll carry on  
><em>_And though you're dead and gone, believe me  
><em>_Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on…~_

"Issa? Can you understand me?" Renae asks as Issa walks away.

England and I decide to stalk them in the most civilized and polite way possible.  
>They continue a slightly one-sided conversation, as Issa just nods to Renae's questions, until Renae points at us—or past us, perhaps, at Dimah?<p>

"That's Lauren's boyfriend," Issa says, seemingly more to myself than to Renae.

"Hey," I whine.

"What?" She innocently questions...

"England can still understand you," I hiss, and Arthur, the troll, twiddles his thumbs and quotes, "'I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you just said,'" from Harry Potter.

I facepalm and roll my eyes as we reach the infirmary room, and Issa sets Renae on the examination table.

"Are you going to be able to figure out what's wrong with her?" Issa asks Arthur.

"I should be..." He replies over his shoulder while looking for some liquid medicine.

He introduces himself to Renae, and, with some more persuasion from myself, she drinks the medicine.

"Feel better?" I question.

Renae shrugs, "Medicine doesn't take place immediately."

Issa looks deep in thought…  
>After a minute or two, she sits on the bed next to Renae and scoops her into her arms.<p>

Renae yawns, "That's the kind of medicine that makes you drowsy, isn't it?"

England reads the label.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. You do look like you need a decent amount of rest, though."

He's not wrong.

Renae looks as if she'd been awake for the last eight to nine days, in a row.  
>She has dark bags under her eyes, which didn't have the hyperactive twinkle that all other children's eyes contained.<br>She also won't stop shaking, even though she knows that she's in safe hands.  
>Her hair is ruffled, and so are her clothes.<br>She needs a shower, but she can take one after she sleeps soundly for a while…

England smiles and sits on a chair next to me and Dimah, and Issa giggles at the trademarked Overprotective-Father glare that he's giving Dimah, who edges away, uncomfortable.

Renae rubs her eyes and yawns again, "I like him. He's kind."

I nod mentally at her approval of my nation. :3  
>She lies down on the cot, her head in Issa's lap.<br>Issa holds her hand as Renae's eyelids slowly droop and finally close.  
>While this happened, Dimah and I were happily seated against the wall, talking in Russian.<br>We all look up when Canada enters, leading Josie by the hand.

"I don't want to see Zack," She complains.

This takes me by surprise; I would think that, with the way Zack acted without her, she would be very happy to be with him again…  
>But the way she acts about this makes me think that Zack has done something unforgivable to her…<br>Were all my mental forewarnings and gut feelings right about Zack?

"You're just in shock. A little of this will put you right in no time," Canada says in his quiet voice, handing her a glass of liquid.

Josie plants herself on a cot and stares at the cup, as if she's deciding whether or not it's poisoned.  
>But, with England staring at her, her willpower crumbles and she takes the medicine.<br>Canada smiles and walks out again.  
>Wasting no time, Josie looks at Issa and begins talking.<br>I continue my conversation with Dimah, but also try to catch what was being said—the grave look on Josie's face discomforted me.

"Listen, that stuff is gonna make me pass out in a few minutes, but I need you to not go anywhere near Zack," She deadpans and shakes her head like she has a headache and continues, though her speech is a bit slower; that must've been powerful knockout medicine...

"I know, it sounds crazy, but just don't trust him. When I was there, L-Ludwig, or G-Germany, or whatever talked with h-him, but I-I didn't understand it...He let Z-Zack go and put me in the basement with her," She points to Renae, who is still sleeping, "And then Prussia or G-Gilbert came a-and let us out..."

Obviously, this conversation, though one-sided, is draining Josie's energy.  
>As she said all that, her eyes were fluttering and she was swaying.<br>Josie finally drops sideways onto the pillow, fighting to make her message to Issa clear.

"I-I think h-he m-made a d-deal with Zack...Don't trust him...don't go...near him..." With that, Josie falls unconscious.

I catch the glance at me from Issa as the shock and numbness sets inside her stomach like a brick.

But, trying to make it look like I hadn't been eavesdropping, I focused onto Dimah, making it appear that I was unaware that the conversation between Josie and Issa had ever happened (I'm also ignoring the prominent 'Mess-with-my-citizen-and-I-will-bloody-kill-you' glare that England is giving Dimah. Dimah seems pretty aware of it, though).

Issa stands and exits the room.

After around fifteen minutes, a loud noise causes me to jump and flinch at the same time.  
>Only one noise makes me do that…<p>

Gunshots.  
>Every time I hear a gun, I jump and flinch because of a bad memory…<br>Really bad, as in, nightmare-ish…  
>Meanwhile, Dimah is already halfway to the door.<p>

"All bets are on Issa, now. We have to go see if she's safe," He says.

Nodding, I stand and follow him, down the stairs, more halls and finally, I peep through the glass.  
>Yellow sunlight blinds me, as does the sight before my eyes.<p>

**CURSE YOU, CLIFFHANGERS!  
><strong>**Heh, I'mma go eat a cupcake now…  
><strong>**Can anyone see what I did with the last 7 lines of the chapter?  
><strong>**You know, before the A/N…  
><strong>**So, yeah.  
><strong>**CUPCAKE TIME. =w=**


	13. Is it the End for Issa? Nightmares?

**Hellur.  
><strong>**I just found something to be angry at – when people mispronounce 'moi'.  
><strong>**It isn't moy.  
><strong>**It's mwah.  
><strong>**Deal with it, Crubbs.  
><strong>**If you get that, I owe you one churro, cookie, brownie, etc. XD**

_After around fifteen minutes, a loud noise causes me to jump and flinch at the same time.  
><em>_Only one noise makes me do that…  
><em>

_Gunshots.  
><em>

_Every time I hear a gun, I jump and flinch because of a bad memory…  
><em>_Really bad, as in, nightmare-ish…  
><em>_Meanwhile, Dimah is already halfway to the door._

_"All bets are on Issa, now. We have to go see if she's safe," He says._

_Nodding, I stand and follow him, down the stairs, more halls and finally, I peep through the glass.  
><em>_Yellow sunlight blinds me, as does the sight before my eyes._

I stare out the window as tears well up in my eyes—I don't care about the fact that Germany was standing there, looking with a mockingly insane face at Zack as he lay in a slowly growing bloody puddle on the ground.  
>Horror filled every molecule of my being—not only because I stare out the window at the maimed-ness of the boy I'd not trusted to be near my honorary sister—but because Issa stood outside, screaming his name at the top of her lungs.<p>

"Zack! Zack!" She screams, and she lets go of a puppy and it scampers away.

She runs toward him, collapses by his side as Zack begins to slowly bleed out.  
>I watch them speak, but their voices are too soft and too blurry to even bother trying to listen—my attention snaps to Josh, whom is trying to get out the door, only held back by fear…<p>

And Dimah.

I step over to him as he struggles against my Russian's grip.

"Josh—Josh, bloody calm down!" I yell at him, and he stops, staring at me.

I notice the small mirror behind him, and lock eyes with myself—tears pour unashamedly down my cheeks and my forehead is glistening with sweat.  
>I snap out of my shocked face and turn back to Josh.<p>

"I know it hurts! It hurts to see her with him! Just calm down!" I urge, and he stares at me with angered eyes.

"It's not that! Germany is _right behind her!_" He growls, and I freeze up, turn and stare out the window again.

Soon, Dimah has to hold both of us back as I claw at the window.  
>I hear a slam after Issa ambled toward the front of the house and out of sight, and I take off down the stairs when I hear her shout, "Help!"<br>When I see Zack, lying bloody on the floor, I nearly shriek.  
>After a few minutes of standing there and staring in horror at his near-unconscious frame, I dash off to find England.<p>

"ARTHUR! ARTHUR!" I screech, and he appears within moments—before he asks anything or I say anything, I grab his wrist and drag him behind me, screaming myself hoarse over the amounts of blood on the threshold, and that he needs to help Zack at once.

When I babble myself out, I go back to silently watching in horror out of the window as Arthur tends to applying a tourniquet to Zack.  
>When I see the shard of ice in Issa's hand, I sigh in relief—but then I look closely at how she had it positioned and the fear and horror and anger and anxiety returned ten-fold as she held it to her artery…<br>She swore to me she wouldn't do this!  
>Why do all my friends break their promises?<br>I watch helplessly as Issa presses the frozen weapon against her arm hard enough to draw a bit of blood…

And I lose it.

I fling the door open, causing it to slam and most likely dent the brick wall beside it as I scream, "ISSA! WHAT THE BLOODY HECK ARE YOU DOING?"

She looks at me with a strange twinkle in her eyes, and says, "Ending this. Don't worry about me. Help Zack."

My eyes continue to well with tears as I stare, my heart pounding in my head as I feel dizzy.

"But, Issa—"

"Help. Zack." The force behind her voice almost surprises me, and for a moment, I think it surprises her, too.

"No…I-Issa…N-no…" Zack moans, and I glance at him through the corner of my blurred eye.

Dimah picks him up, grim-faced—I can tell he's also scared, though, by the way his hands are clenched and ever-so-slightly shaking as he gives Issa one long, final look.  
>In his eyes are hopelessness and loss of all resolve.<br>Slowly, Zack's voice begins to get loud and terrified.

"No…N-no! …Issa! ISSA!"

I begin to get a headache as Jia Li goes out to try and save her savior.

Issa turns to her without removing the shard from her arm, "Jia Li, go back."

Jia Li reaches for the shard and mumbles, "Issa, please…don't do this—"

"No!" Issa hisses at her, and she flinches, "Go back!"

I stare out the door, quaking.

"Lauren," Issa says, looking at me, "You do realize how important it is that you stay inside, right?"

I glare at her with all the strength I could muster, and speak harshly, "_Why,_ Issa?"

My resolve immediately crumbles as my voice cracks and my sorrow flows through my words like an ocean of pain and terror.

"Don't you realize how important it is that you leave this _dummkopf _and walk away?" I continue, as I rub at my scarf, and some of my courage flickers back, "It isn't worth it, believe me…"

"Exactly," She ignored my last statement… I realize that I'd stepped outside and am slowly stepping on, "I can't give him any ideas to use against you! Please, Lauren, get Jia Li and yourself inside."

I glare at her with ferocity that I've never felt before, and as the tears come back, I whip around and walk inside, making sure to flip Germany the bird as I go—he looked too bored with the drama.  
>Before Issa could voice her demands, another voice speaks out in English, rather than Japanese.<p>

"Issa, don't. Please. Drop it, it isn't worth it."

I watch Issa flinch as she growls slightly, her grip on the ice weakening and then coming back twice as strong.

"Josh, go inside."

I turn to Josh and step out the foot and a half that he was in the snow, and look at him with sincerity.

"Josh…please, stay inside. I'll make sure she's okay…she'll make it through…" I mutter softly, dragging him inside gently as my voice restricts itself to softness and reigns over sorrow.

And then I shut the door and run back to the window as I hold Josh back.  
>He, too, wanted to watch—but my efforts were keeping him in check as I pinned both of his arms behind him, placing my knee into his back and keeping him from struggling away and out of my grip…<br>The agonizingly long wait for something to happen was cut short when the ice sliced over the extremely vital vein, which gushed with blood.  
>I am paralyzed with fear as my throat tries to scream—but nothing comes out.<br>I cry out silently, tears running down my face as Issa wavers.  
>I am shocked when Germany grabs her wrist in a weak attempt to stop the blood.<br>Suddenly, the Axis look-alikes wander into the room—Alex helps me hold Josh back, and eventually I just lose it and begin to sob uncontrollably when he calms down.

"What's going on?" Alex had questioned.

I tried to explain, but nothing came out besides strangled sobbing and a few random syllables.  
>Everything seems to blur…oh, wait, I've been shaking my head.<br>Sydney steps over and grabs me by my shoulders, holding me firmly in place as she yells over my sobs.

"What happened?"

I pause, take several deep breaths, and finally, I manage out:

"I-Issa j-just c-cut her a-artery! A-and we can't g-go g-get h-her until G-Germ-many l-leaves, or he'll k-kill us!"

Alex looks at me, "She _What?_"

Before I could answer, we both step over to the window…

I hear what Issa is saying…

"What are you doing?" She hisses, "I am your enemy! Just let me die with a little dignity, please!"

My breathing gets rapid and I feel myself about to faint, but I couldn't bear the thought of losing my closest friend in the longest of time…

"You're not going to die…" Germany states softly, looking past Issa with a glazed look in his eyes.

"I just cut my artery, I'm going to die!" Issa retorts, and Germany shakes his head.

"You're not going to die, Italy. It's just a scratch." He almost sounds amused…

Finally I will myself to trace his line of sight directly to Alex.  
>Germany smiles dreamily.<p>

"Go get washed off, Italy. Meet me at my place, in an hour, and we'll make pasta."

He releases Issa's wrist, takes a few steps away, and then vanishes as my sadness ebbs away, and is replaced by anger.

Oh, listen to me blubber like a baby…heh, I sound like something out of a chick-flick, don't I?

Crying and horrified…hmm.  
>A rebellious attitude fills my veins as I am not able to stand still for much longer.<br>I watch Issa crumple to the ground and let out a loud, strangle gasp.  
>Should I go get her?<br>Should I go get help?  
>My prayers are answered by that of my savior—no, not that one—the one with the fluffy yellow canary, white hair, and an unhealthily obese ego.<p>

I break out of my trance as I glare into his crimson eyes, "Prussia, go get Issa."

My voice is shaky, but my command is clear, and my heart weighs with sorrow, fear, you know—all the usual emotions you feel when your best friend _commits suicide __**right in front of you**__._

"B-but why—"

"JUST DO IT!" I screech in high-pitched German, and he raises his hands in a gesture of fearful defeat.

He goes outside, pauses in shock at the amount of blood, but goes and picks her up anyway, and begins to sprint down the hallway.  
>Everyone runs with him, afraid to be out of 'the loop'.<br>Not me…  
>I just want my friend to survive the fate that should've been mine.<p>

When we find the infirmary, England is inside, tending to Zack, when we burst in.  
>His face is kind of amusing as he sees Issa—he got wide-eyed and his mouth made a perfect O.<p>

"What happe—"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER, JUST FIX HER, SHE'S ALMOST GONE!" I scream, not caring about the level of my voice.

Her breathing was getting slow and I was terrified beyond human comprehension.  
>Arthur turns to Prussia—<p>

"Put her on the bed." His quiet voice reminds me of my father, instructing my mum on taking a splinter out of my foot when I was small…

Prussia obeys the request, gently placing Issa on the sterile cot.

"Is she conscious?" Arthur begins pawing through a nearby drawer rather calmly, and I tense up randomly.

"Barely," Prussia sighs, solemn.

Arthur turns back around and begins to gently stitch Issa's wound.  
>In my head I scream at him, "That won't be enough!"<br>A tourniquet would be effective…  
>I had to repress a giggle, though, as Issa begins to randomly grope the air when the needle first pokes in.<br>As I watch the needle poke in and out of Issa's ashen skin I flinch every time it does so.  
>Through the corner of my eyes I notice the gentle way Josh holds Issa's hand…<br>It might be the fact he looks like my nation, but I approve of this guy just a tad more.  
>I stare indefinitely at Issa as the energy inside me begins to double—I know what's coming…<br>Stupid bouts of insomnia...

"Issa," Josh murmurs, "Issa…"

Issa looks weakly at her fatal wound with a bemused look on her face.  
>She blinks, and looks back at the ceiling…and…<br>Her eyes close.  
>I feel the lowest I've ever felt right at that moment—seeing my best friend, sister and fellow Hetalian, possibly dying slowly right before my eyes.<br>I choke back tears and sobs and gasps and every other form of crying.  
>I have to be brave for Issa…I have to be brave for myself, too.<br>Oh, yeah, and I don't like being blinded by tears, it's kind of annoying.

Jia Li begins to cry as well, and Arthur turns to us with a grumpy expression on his face.

"Be quiet or get out!" He snaps at us.

Rage boils inside me, since my emotions are deciding to have a parade.  
>I resist the urge to flip him off as well, and to cuss him out in Russian…<br>Instead, I defy him by neither leaving the room nor shutting up, and Jia Li does the same.

Take that, Iggy.

Josh lifts Issa's hand to his face, and since Issa hadn't lost consciousness yet, she strokes his cheek with a single digit.  
>Attention goes back to Arthur as he looks at Prussia with fear and anxiety in his eyes.<p>

"It's no good. She's lost too much blood. Get me the plasma."

I tense up once more, having hot-and-cold flashes not unlike the Axis look-alikes.  
>I don't know why…but I've always had weird body issues when I was this terrified.<br>One time, I got stuck in a strong river current, caught between two bloody slippery rocks…  
>I felt like I was on fire, and then I was in the Arctic Circle, and then like I was as heavy as a boulder and then light as a feather.<br>My senses and nerves and brain waves get messed up, I suppose…

Prussia, whom happened to be watching Issa's procedure intensely, jerks out of his alleged trance, and mumbles, "Oh, right, me…"

He turns and rummages through another drawer, searching for the object in question.  
>Arthur sure is snappy, today—I mean it literally.<br>He began to snap his fingers when Prussia hadn't given the plasma to him within the span of two seconds.  
>Prussia then hands him a plastic bag that was connected to a pole…<br>He was about to stick the IV into Issa's arm when she gasped and began violently thrashing.

"Whoa, hey!" He shouts, "Calm down! Issa, stop, you're going to be alright! Just stop moving and let me—_there!_" Arthur shouts in triumph when he successfully inserts the IV needle into Issa's cut, securing it with medical tape.

Josh attempts to hold Issa down, but to little success.

"Stay still…you're okay…stay still…" Arthur offers the words comfortingly to my best friend, helping Josh hold her down.

I hate that.  
>She's not okay, she's dying.<br>She's dying a slow, painful death, and although we're trying our hardest to prevent it…  
>It's still happening.<br>I mentally begin to pray for a miracle.

Finally, Arthur lets go of Issa's ravaged arm and sits down in a plastic chair with a sigh of relief, pinching the bridge of his nose in a sign of exhaustion.  
>As soon as he does so, I'm by Issa's side, unable to resist the temptation of the tears boiling behind my eyelids.<br>I take Issa's empty hand, squeezing it gently, trying to bring some comfort to both of us…

"Why? Why'd you do it? Issa, why? You should've left him to someone else! Why do you always have to be such a bloody hero?" I sob, shaking my head gently as I clench my eyes tightly shut and give her hand another squeeze.

Surprisingly, Issa squeezes my hand right back, and mumbles something.  
>In the commotion that barely merited my attention, I couldn't hear her, but I could honestly say that almost everyone in the room saw her lips move.<br>Anger overwhelms me, probably caused by a random Teacup outburst.

"Everyone shut _up!_" I shout, and the commotion ends nearly immediately.

I mentally smirk—I has authority, da?  
>Maybe it's because I'm dating a Russian.<br>I don't know.  
>But anyway, my musings fall short as I lean in closer to Issa.<p>

"What, Issa?" I question.

"M'sorry…Was…right thing…to…do…M'sorry…" She whispers hoarsely, and with that, her hands go limp.

Pain, shock, sorrow, anger, and fear all make one big thump in my chest that almost propelled me forward as I gasp—then I realize that she's still breathing, and I breathe my own sigh of relief as I grasp at my pounding heart.

"Oh, thank goodness…" I pause, "When you wake up, I'm going to kill you, and that's a bloody promise," I mutter, smiling sadly at the seemingly common and idle threat I give her and everyone else.

Especially France.  
>But with him, it isn't idle.<p>

Suddenly, Hungary steps in, looking slightly worried.  
>Arthur jumps when he sees her.<p>

"Zack?"

Hungary shakes her head.

"Austria and Liechtenstein are doing their best, but he's not doing well," She says sorrowfully, looking through a drawer for something.

She finds it (a roll of sterile medical tape) and leaves again.  
>After that, I just sit on the floor and bury my face in my hands, half-sobbing and half-being me.<br>As the tears slip down my face, I begin to contemplate random things.

Why is it called a hacksaw?  
>It doesn't hack, axes do—and people with bad coughs.<br>I sense a presence by my side, and realize it's Dimah, and he loops his arm around my shoulders.

Don't tell anyone, but I could tell because I peeked through my fingers…

My giggles came out as more broken sobs.  
>I peek out at Josh…<br>He isn't crying anymore, but those emerald eyes of his stare longingly at Issa's face.  
>Silently, he's begging her to wake up…<br>I can tell that he truly does love her…  
>This chick-flick-y thought brings on another wave of sobs.<br>Suddenly, Issa stirs, whimpers lightly, and her grip tightens on what it's holding onto—Josh's hand and a fistful of quilt.

Josh begins to whisper reassurances to her, but she just kind of gets a cold sweat on her forehead and begins to cry in her sleep.  
>Thoughtfully, Josh removes her glasses as they became dirtied with Issa's tears.<br>After a moment, he begins speaking louder—no, not speaking, singing?  
>In Japanese, no less!<br>I mean, it's not perfect—a few words were mispronounced, which reawakened my inner grammar Nazi—

_**Now may not be the best time to think of Nazis.**_

Shut up.  
>As I was saying, it awakened my inner grammar … person … but it doesn't matter.<br>His voice is soft and sweet, no matter if it cracked a few times or not—this was a kind gesture.  
>Issa knows this song, just like I do, too…I can tell because she turns to face him.<p>

_"Lonely girl wa itsumade mo  
>Todokanai yume mite<br>Sawagu atama no naka wo  
>Kakimawashite<br>Kakimawashite...  
>Modainai totsubu yaite<br>Kotoba wa ushina wareta  
>Mou shippai, mou shippai<br>Machigai sagashi ni owareba  
>Mata mawaru no<br>Mou ikkai, mou ikkai  
>Watashi wa kyou mo korigarimasu to<br>Shoujo iu, shoujo iu  
>Kotoba ni imi wo kanade nagara<br>Mou ikkai, mada desu yo  
>Mada mada saki no miena no de<br>Imi wo tomeru no ima  
>Rolling girl no nare no hate<br>Todokanai mukou no iro  
>Kasanaru koe to koe wo<br>Maze awashite, Maze awashite  
>Modanai totsubu yaite<br>Kotoba wa ushinawareta  
>Dounattatte iin date<br>Samachigai datte okochi chaou to sasou sakamichi  
>Mou ikkai, mou ikkai<br>Watashi wa kyou mo korigarimasu to  
>Shoujo iu, shoujo iu<br>Mukuchi ni imi wo kasane nagara  
>Mou ikkai, mou sukoshi<br>Mosogu nanikaniru daro to  
>Iki wo tomeru no ima..." <em>He sings, and Issa is still for a few seconds.

Then she squeezes his hand…  
>And her blue eyes flutter open.<br>They stare into Josh's green ones, and she smiles.

"Hi, Josh…" She mumbles after flexing her left wrist with an air of remembrance, "I didn't know you could sing."

Her lips curved into a weak smile, and I raise an eyebrow.  
>I know what she's trying to do.<br>She wants to lighten the mood, because she doesn't want to deal with the consequences of her actions…  
>Josh strokes a few hairs out of Issa's eyes with a tenderness nothing on earth could've matched at the moment.<p>

"I hate not knowing what you say…" In English, he mumbles goodnaturedly, and Issa's eyes flicker shut and open again…

"Gonna pass out…" She warns, and moments later, that's what she does.

I glance at the clock, and it read about ten past midnight.

"Alright, you all need to clear out, right now!" Apparently, Arthur had done the same, and I smile, being the last one to be in the room as Dimah gives me a kiss on the cheek.

I squee quietly, and he leaves, leaving only myself and Arthur as the only two conscious people in the room.

"You need to go, too, Lauren. Get some rest, you've done a lot of worrying today," He says caringly.

I glare at him.

"No. I know my limits, and you need to let me stay. Issa is in good hands, I promise…" I perform the Scout's Honor hand thing and Arthur sighs, and leaves, most likely going to go sleep.

I begin singing random things and pass the time.  
>No sense of weariness or fatigue passes through me—only worries, and the feeling you get when you sing.<br>I sing the two lines of _World is Mine_ by Hatsune Miku that I knew, the first verse and most of the chorus of _iNSaNiTY_, and before I knew it, it was one in the morning…  
>Suddenly, Issa awakens, taking several shuddering gasps, looking around frantically as tears poured down her face.<p>

"Issa?" I ask, feeling a pang of worry, "What's wrong?"

She gives her head a little shake and squeezes her eyes shut tightly, yet the tears still fall.

"Calm down," I whisper, sitting at her bedside.

"Can't," She barely chokes out, and I move closer.

"Why not?" I ask, taking her left hand in my right one, careful not to move her arm at all.

She begins to shake her head again, and I get the message.  
><em>I'm crying too hard to speak.<em>

"Nightmare?" I ask, and she nods, trying to rub tears from her eyes.

I think about it for a second as she resists messing with her nose tube.

"I get nightmares a lot," I state, "Most of the time, it's about France eating my cookies."

Issa laughs, which is quickly reduced to coughing, and I feel guilty.

"Sorry," I mumble, "I didn't mean to make you laugh that hard…I was just trying to make you feel better…" Issa nods, and I breathe a mental sigh of relief.

"S'okay. Josh?" She questions, and I giggle for some random reason.

"He fell asleep. England woke him up and made him leave, but I'm pretty sure he'll be back soon," I answer.

She nods again.

"Zack?"

This question confuses me for a split second, making me hesitate, which causes Issa to hold her breath with a vague expression of hopefulness plastered onto her face.

"He'll be fine," I state, trying to sound happy.

I think she knows that I'm not.

"Lauren…" She mumbles, and suddenly, her grip on my hand becomes airtight.

"Don't let me fall asleep," She begs, staring into my eyes pleadingly.

"You need to sleep," I try and comfort her, "I'll stay right here. Anytime you need me, you just wake right up and sister Lauren will be here." I smile at her.

She cringes.

"I…don't want…" She moans, but collapses, asleep once again.

I feel another pang of worry.

What's making her resist sleep so much?  
>Was it that nightmare?<br>As I contemplate everything from why nightmares are called nightmares (as far as I know, they have nothing to do with horses) to why circles are round, another little while passes by.  
>My trance is broken by Issa, waking up and thrashing around, ripping out her IV and oxygen tube, and finally causing pillow fluff to fly around the room as she beat up her pillow.<br>She pummels it with no mercy to be seen, crying, as she shrieks at the top of her lungs, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"  
>Confusion fills my head as I jump to her right, pinning her arms to her side as the pillow fluff falls like snow.<br>She struggles against me for a bit, but she finally sits still and begins to cry into my shoulder.

"Shh…it's okay…" I whisper, rubbing her back like my mum used to do for me when I had a nightmare, "Lie back down…"

She follows my orders, and I suppose the commotion had awoken Canada, for he rushed in and placed the IV back into Issa's arm.

"You can't take this out, Issa. When we feel like you're ready for it, we'll take it out," He scolds in his Canadian voice.

I find it hard to take seriously, but Issa hiccups.

"I'm sor-ry," She says through said hiccup.

"It's okay," He says softly, "But you need to rest."

Issa jumps and shudders at the thought of sleeping, going through what now seems to be one nightmare after another.  
>Canada gives her a funny look, and I step in to explain.<p>

"Nightmares. Bloody awful ones, by the way she's reacting…" I say softly, and comprehension crosses the shy nation's face and he begins to look for something.

In the drawers.  
>Honestly, those drawers are starting to become repetitive…<br>Issa looks out the window, and looks startled by the darkness.

"What time is it?" She questions.  
>I don't bother to glance at the clock.<p>

"I don't know. Two in the morning, maybe."

She stares at me, surprised.

"Forget about me, it's you that needs sleep!" She exclaims.

"No, I'll be fine. Insomnia, you know," I wave it off, like I waved off sleep.

Issa shrugs, "If you say so…" And stares at the ceiling.

"I don't want to sleep," She states, and I look at her curiously.

Hmm…  
>What to do…?<p>

"Can you tell me about what happened in your dreams?" I ask softly.

"Which one?" She responds.

"The last one—the one you just woke up from," I specify.

"Well...I was in this room. Everyone was, but you guys were tied to a bunch of poles. And—and then, everyone started burning. I tried to help everyone b-but I-I wasn't fast enough to even save o-one of you...An-and then, a d-different me came, and she said she was evil me. Yami, she called herself. And started telling me everything bad about me that I've thought about myself for ages, an-and I st-started sc-screaming at her to leave me al-alone. And then I woke up and broke the pillow," She recalls, tears falling softly from her eyes—but then she giggles at the end, when she blows away a stray feather.

"Are there others like that?" I ask, contemplating this.

I can see it vividly from what Issa has told me…  
>I know now why she doesn't want to sleep.<p>

Issa shakes her head, "That was the first time I've seen Yami, but I did relive a few of the nights when I felt like a complete waste of space."

"You're not a waste of space," I state matter-of-factly.

It's true, no one is.

"So I've been told," She responds, staring at the ceiling.

"What are the others like?" I question after a moment of silence, other than Canada's drawer-rummaging.

"W-well, they're more...violent. Gory, usually. No one survives at the end, except for Germany. On occasion, I do, but I'm screaming until I wake myself up. I die a few times, an-and I-I w-watch y-you g-guys d-die...an-and I think ab-about how I'd n-never f-forgive myself if you die because of me..." She stutters herself to a stop, and begins to cry again, burying her face into her shirt.

"Shh, it's alright," I murmur softly, stroking her hair softly until she leaves her wad of shirtness behind.

I'm surprised by her next words—"My name's not Bella."

I stare blankly at her, and she explains, "People think that Bella is a good abbreviation for Isabella, but I don't like to be called Bella. _Twilight_ ruined that name."

I wanted to glomp her then and there, but on account of her injuries I settle for a good laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind," I chuckle.

"By the way," Issa asks, "Where's Renae and Josie?"

The faint of a smile appears on my lips as I speak, "You were screaming too loud, so we moved you in with Zack. He's not much of a sound sleeper, either…" I trail off.

The words seem to take a moment for Issa to process, and when she does, she lifts herself up onto her elbows and looks at the cot across the room—Zack.  
>She looked relieved to see him—or see him breathing.<p>

"Alright," Canada finally states, walking back over, "Drink this."

The small medicine cup he holds contains a sickly sweet-scented red medicine, and I agree with Issa as she wrinkles her nose at it.

"Nuh-uh," She protests, shaking her head.

"C'mon, it puts you to sleep without nightmares. Guaranteed," Canada presses the cup toward Issa's unwilling hands.

She looks at it again, inspecting the red liquid with the faintest scent of cherries.

"Um…no."

She tries to give the cup back.

"Look, you're going to sleep either way," I begin, making her hold onto the cup, "Your choice, nightmares or no nightmares?"

She glares at me, and then at Canada.  
>It was quite comical to watch him flinch slightly.<br>Finally she chugs the medicine, shuddering at the most likely horrible flavor touching her tongue.  
>I watch her make several faces, and finally she sums it up in a single word.<p>

"Yuck."

I laugh, as does Canada, and Issa kind of lets out a tiny giggle as not to hurt herself.  
>A look of remembrance crosses her face, and she pulls up the oxygen tube.<br>She pulls it over her face and places it on her upper lip.

"Moostache~" She giggles, imitating Romano—and one of my favorite scenes, mind you.

I just continue to laugh harder, Canada leaves, and Issa begins to fight for consciousness.  
>I have a sudden thought that, what if this 'guaranteed nightmare remover' didn't work this time?<br>The same thought seems to strike Issa.  
>I remember the song that Jenny used to sing to me when I had nightmares…<br>I begin to sing it to Issa as she drifts to sleep.

"_Will I always be there for you, when you need someone?  
><em>_Will I be that one you need? Will I do all my best to  
><em>_To protect you, when the tears get near your eyes  
><em>_Will I be the one that's by your side?  
><em>_Will I be there when you call me in the middle of the night?  
><em>_Will I keep the rain from falling down into your life?  
><em>_I promise  
><em>_I promise, I promise I will…" _I pause, hearing the music in my head.

"_Will I take and look care of you?  
><em>_Take your darkest night, and make it bright for you?  
><em>_Will I be there to make you strong, and to lean on,  
><em>_When this world has turned so cold?  
><em>_Will I be the one that's there to hold?  
><em>

_Will I be there when you call me in the middle of the night?  
><em>_Will I keep the rain from falling down into your life?  
><em>_I promise  
><em>_I promise, I promise I will  
><em>_Will I be there when you call me in the middle of the night?  
><em>_Will I keep the rain from falling down into your life?  
><em>_I promise  
><em>_I promise, I promise I will_

_And I'll love you more every day  
><em>_And nothing will take that love away  
><em>_When you need someone, I promise I'll be there for you  
><em>_For you, for you!  
><em>_Will I be there when you call me in the middle of the night?  
><em>_Will I keep the rain from falling down into your life?  
><em>_I promise  
><em>_I promise, I promise I will  
><em>

_And I promise, and I promise  
><em>_And I promise, oh, I promise you  
><em>_I will be there when you call me…  
><em>_I promise, I promise  
><em>_I promise that I will…~" _The song used to end with a soft instrumental end, and after that I'd usually fall asleep.

I notice the even way Issa is breathing, and hope that that medicine worked…  
>I continue to amuse myself with assorted objects in the room (including drawing the Japanese character for 'love' on my inner upper arm with a blue ballpoint pen) until the sun began to rise.<br>Issa started to look troubled again, as well.  
>Hmm...<p>

"Good morning, the night is over and gone  
>I thought once, that this dark would last for so long...<br>feel your sunlight, on my face  
>You led me, to this place…"<p>

I remember the small amount of an old song I grew up listening to, and as the sun rose in the sky I smiled at it, picked a chair, found a piece of paper and began to sketch an array of random objects, from pants to cupcakes to Teacup and onward.

**There you have it! :3  
>So, yep, I don't own anything here except Lauren.<br>The songs were 'I Promise' by Stacie Orrico and 'You Led Me' by BarlowGirl...have I used that one before, though? o3o  
>Oh, well, it's awesome anyway.<strong>

**_'The rainbow factory...where your fears and horrors come true...' _Sorreh, itscht epically creepy.**

**I don't own it. XD**


	14. Bailamos!

**Yay, more singing!  
><strong>**Be amused!  
><strong>**I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT LAUREN AND TEACUP…  
><strong>**And this churro. *Nom***

* * *

><p>Sometime after nine in the morning, I got bored of doodling all over my arm and decided to go tackle a few nations.<br>First, I have to bathe.  
>I'm covered in tears and blood…<p>

So, after patting a peacefully sleeping Issa on the head, checking her temperature, and tending to Zack for a moment (he kicked his blanket off when I wasn't looking) I went across the hall and up the stairs to Issa's and my room.

I let the hot water massage my skin and I began to sing songs that my strange brain related with assorted nations…  
>When I reached Sealand, I was squeaky-clean, so I shut the water off, toweled dry, and went to get dressed - I threw on a simple Union Jack t-shirt and a pair of jeans, plus my usual yellow scarf, and a pair of fuzzy white socks.<br>I jumped out of the room at an unsuspecting (and surprisingly awake) America.

"I'M ON A BOAT!" I yell, and he jumps back in shock, and falls on his hind end.

"DUDE!" He shouts as he lands.

I giggle, "Sorry, America," and help him up.

"It's 'kay. Your singing woke me up…"

I feel a mixture of guilt from waking him and pride _for_ waking him.  
>I skip away, humming another tune, and go to the kitchen to prepare myself a bowl of Cheerios.<p>

You see, with me, Cheerios are a process: I add a spoonful of sugar on the bottom, then comes the cereal.  
>And another layer of sugar, then the milk.<br>I stir the cereal to mix it evenly with the milk, and then, I add another layer of sugar.  
>As you can imagine, I got a buzz just from looking at the stuff.<br>I began to happily nom my noms when Josh walks in, gets himself his own cereal, and sits down across from me.

"Morning, Josh," I say, turning to English—even then I have a slight Japanese accent lurking under my British one from using the language for so long.

"Morning," He responds groggily.

"Did you sleep well?" He nods.

"And you?" He questions, and I shrug.

"I didn't sleep."

He stares at me in surprise as he asks, "Why not?"

"I was too busy worrying about Issa…"

He nods in understanding, "I see."

"…If I didn't, she would've had to bear nightmares alone…" I only mumble this in my head as I crunch on my O-shaped food.

The rest of the breakfast passes in silence as my mind begins to wander into the depths of my bowl.

Why do stars stay in the sky?  
>Who invented the Spanish language?<p>

As I spoon the last O into my mouth, my brain fizzles and I cough, an ingenious idea popping into my head.

"What's wrong? You okay?" Josh asks as I pound on my collarbone.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine…but I need to go make a call…D'you know Spain's phone number?" I ask, and he scowls at me.

"No. That jerk can stay un-called."

I sigh, "I have a plan, Josh. It'll work."

"How do you know?" He snapped, but looked like he regretted it.

"I know because I know Hetalia inside and out…just trust me here. If you wish, you can yell at him when he gets here." And without another word, I stand and go to find France.

When I do find him, he's eating a cookie that looked familiar to the one I told him not to eat.  
>Is nothing sacred? TT^TT<br>I sigh, and plunk down next to him on the couch.

"Bonjour, ma cherie~!" He chirps, slipping an arm around my shoulders.

"Don't make me get my Russian in here," I threaten, and his arm slips back to where it should be — at his side.

"Uh, heh, is there something you need?"

"Yep. I need you to take me to Spain." I announce simply, and he sighs, "Alright."

And so, here I am.  
>In Spain.<br>My, my, that does sound awkward~!  
>Do I care?<br>No!

France leads me down a path he seemed to know very well, and we stop at a large cottage that is surrounded by greenery—mostly that of tomato plants—and I'm led forward to the door.  
>I knock a few times, subtly, and a grumpy-looking brunette with a curl that defies gravity answered the door.<p>

"What do you—AH! IT'S FRANCE!" And soon, he's cowering behind me and using me as a human shield.

"Bonjour, Romano~!" France chirps, trying to be friendly, but this just makes Romano try to hide under my scarf.

It is quite frankly ADORABLE.  
>I resist glomping Romano, for I know that I'll save the privilege for Issa-chan.<p>

"I need to speak with Spain." I state blankly, and Romano stands and makes a face.

"What for?" He snaps.

"Urgent matters."

A silence follows, and he narrows his eyes at me.

"…Are you a—"

"No!" I shout, cutting him off before he can insult me, "Just take me to Spain!"

"You're already there, mi amor~!" Chirps the voice I recognize quickly as Spain's.

I whip around and glomp him.

"ESPAÑA~!" I squeal, cuddling his waist.

He's startled, that's for sure.

"Lovi, help!"

I sigh and release the tomato lover.

"Sorry, it's a habit…"

France nods violently behind me.

"I forgive you. My name is Antonio, and this is Lovino… who are you?"

"I can introduce myself, tomato jerk!" Romano shouts, throwing one of the precious red fruit/vegetables at the potential pedo—but does it hit him?

Of course not.  
>It hits me, because my luck is terrible.<p>

"Wah! Lo siento, señorita!" Spain squeals, and I facepalm.

**_This isn't going as planned._**

"I'm fine, Spain, Romano, you're a jerk sometimes. I came here to request that you two join the Allied Forces in the apparent third world war," I say with a tone of business in my voice.

"Why should we?" Romano snaps.

"Because your _piccolo fratello_ is in danger," I say gravely, and Romano's angered expression vanishes for a moment.

"_Mia fratello?_ In danger? How?"

"Join the light side and I'll spill the proverbial beans."

"Who else is on your side?" Spain questions, considering.

"America, Austria, Britain, Canada, China, Hungary, Italy…sort of…Liechtenstein, Prussia, Russia, Switzerland…a lookalike for a few of them, and myself. I am a British citizen that shouldn't be here at all," I respond, and Spain looks curious.

My plan is working~!  
>The more curious these two are, the more they'll want to join our side because of my previous statement!<br>I love my current American thoughts!

"…Alright." The two Spanish-speaking nations state.

I grin, and we all teleport back to Austria via France.

* * *

><p>Later<p>

* * *

><p>I've been running around all day, and now, I'm tired and I want to relax.<br>So I go back to the infirmary, and sit by Issa…

"Hey, Lauren…" She rasps.

I jump slightly, not expecting her to be awake.

"Hey, Issa. How are you feeling?"

"…Horrible…" She mumbles, "I'm sorry…"

I take her hand and look at her, a smile on my face.

"It's okay. You only wanted to do what's right…I know how that feels…trust me." I giggle, and she smiles.

"So, guess what?" I smile again, as she asks, "What?"

I wave at the door, and in come the newest allies.  
>Issa jumps at the sight of Romano.<p>

"R-Roma-chan~!" She squeals, and then flinches from movement.

I lean in close for some privacy, "You can have Roma. Tonio's mine."

We both crack up, and Spain sits down on the chair on the other side of Issa as I stand and let Romano have my seat.

"Ro-Roma…" Issa falls back onto her pillow and weakly waves Romano close to her.

"What?" He snaps quietly, trying to hide the concern in his voice.

"Can I…?" Before she finishes her sentence, she tugs on the curl, and Romano jumps up, suddenly red as the tomatoes he eats, tears in his eyes.

"CHIGI!"

I fall over laughing.  
>Romano pouts, and leaves the room in a huff.<p>

"It's okay, he'll calm down," I mumble to Issa, who looks kind of upset as well.

She smiles, "I know…I just wish I wasn't pent up in this bed…"

_**That was your choice, stupid human.**_

"Shut up…" I mumble to myself, and Issa looks at me, taken aback.

"Oh, n-no, not you! You see, I have this cat in my head that's very cynical and rude. I was talking to him. … He was the one who killed me." I state boredly.

Issa seems to glare at my forehead angrily, but then laughs, "Okay then!"

Her eyes droop slightly.

"I'mma sleep now…'night…"

"Sweet dreams!" I smile at her, and pat her head again.

The soft tune of the guitar drifts into my line of hearing and I jump up, and run out to the music room and look around.  
>There sits Spain with one of Austria's guitars, and Dimah, listening happily to the flamenco music that I instantly recognized…<p>

I grin, and smile, "D'you mind if I sing along?"

"No," Spain smiles, and I step over to Dimah and pull him from his seat, and we begin to dance together—the tango.

"_Tonight, we dance  
><em>_I leave my life in your hands…" _A small dip here really suited the music.

"_We take the floor…  
><em>_Nothing is forbidden anymore…_

_Don't let the world in outside  
><em>_Don't let a moment go by  
><em>_Nothing can stop us tonight!_

_Bailamos!  
><em>_Let the rhythm take you over,  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Te quiero, amor mio  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Wanna live this night forever,  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Te quiero, amor mio  
><em>_Te quiero!" _Words cannot express how much I wish Dimah spoke English.

Spain seems pleased by my use of Spanish, however, and my brown eyes lock with Dimah's violet ones.

"_Tonight I'm yours  
><em>_We can make it happen, I'm so sure  
><em>_I won't let it go,  
><em>_There is something I think you should know…  
><em>_I won't be leaving your side  
><em>_We're gonna dance through the night  
><em>_I wanna reach for the stars!" _England and America walk in and stare.

"_Bailamos!  
><em>_Let the rhythm take you over,  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Te quiero, amor mio  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Wanna live this night forever,  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Te quiero, amor mio  
><em>_Te quiero!"_

A spin out and then back in led me close to Dimah, and I glance over at Arthur, who happens to be livid—whether because of Spain or my dancing, I'm not sure.

"Lauren Cohen! Stop being provocative this instant!" He demands, and I giggle, and stick my tongue out at him, and keep singing.

"_Whoa,  
><em>_Tonight we dance  
><em>_Whoa,  
><em>_Like no tomorrow…  
><em>_Whoa,  
><em>_If you will stay with me…" _I lean in close to Dimah's ear and whisper, _"Te quiero…mi amor~"_

I look into his eyes and see them dilate…  
>Something tells me he knows what I said, and the shudder that rocked his body made me doubly sure.<br>As we danced, Spain played happily as I kept whispering sweet Spanish nothings into Dimah's ear.

"_Bailamos!  
><em>_Let the rhythm take you over,  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Te quiero, amor mio  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Wanna live this night forever,  
><em>_Bailamos!  
><em>_Te quiero, amor mio!  
><em>_Como te quiero…" _And a deep dip ends the song.

Dimah and I look into each other's eyes, and the moment builds…

"Aw, heck, why not?" I giggle, and bring my lips to his.

The kiss, and the sparks, last for a good minute before we break for air, and stand upright.  
>I look over at England, whom is sulking in a corner, and then I look at America.<br>He filmed everything?  
>I glance at Spain, and he begins to clap.<p>

"Maravilloso!" He cheers, and Dimah and I take a happy bow.

I snatch America's iPhone and take off up the stairs, forgetting to let go of Dimah's hand.

"I'MMA SHOW ISSA!" I call downstairs when I heard the indignant noise that came from the American.

"KAY!" He called back, and I burst quietly into the infirmary, panting.

Issa bolts upright, flinches, and floats back down onto her elbows.

"What happened? Why are you two all sweaty? WHAT DID FRANCE DO?" She shrieks, and I give a nervous laugh, turning a bright red.

Dimah is blissfully ignorant of why I turned red…  
>I grin at Issa.<p>

"Watch me dance and sing!" I giggle, and she watches the recording…

"Dude, you dance?" Was the first thing she said.

I just laugh and nod.

"I do not understand." Dimah mumbles in broken Japanese.

"Aww!" I huggle my Russian, and then Issa reaches the part of the video where Dimah and I kiss, and she squeals.

"Aww!" She squeals, like I did.

"I know, right?" As the conversation turns girly, Dimah exits the room and leaves me and a freshly awake Issa to talk about stuff.

**YES!  
><strong>**Originally, I had like half this thing done but my stupid computer closed the document before I could save it. So yep. Here it is!  
><strong>**OMG, I didn't start a new line for each sentence! *le gasp* I'm bored with that in the ANs and stuff, so yeah. Goodnight world!**


	15. I'm Home

**CHAPTAAAAAAAAH~  
><strong>**Okay, so in the most recent chapter of Our Messed Up Lives, it's centered around Issa as it should be.  
><strong>**And Lauren, as of England's POV, pulls a Perry the Platypus and "doesn't do much"….  
><strong>**So, yah.  
><strong>**I OWN NOTHING BUT LAUREN AND TEACUP!  
><strong>…**And a strange obsession over this story.  
><strong>**I really need to update my other ones…like, really badly.  
><strong>**Oh, yeah, happy Memorial Day~!**

* * *

><p>I sit and stare blankly at a poster of the human body, labeled in German, and one particular diagram catches my eye.<br>The immune system.  
>Translated to English, it read the usual textbook dialogue.<p>

_An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease. To function properly, an immune system must detect a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and distinguish them from the organism's own healthy tissue._

Et cetera, so on and so forth.

I stare from the poster to Issa, whom is still white as snow…  
>She should've regained at least a little bit of color by now…<br>Is—is she sweating?

I place a hand on her forehead, and then place it on my own, and am shocked by the warmth radiating from it.  
>If she has a fever, shouldn't she be red in the face?<p>

What if her own immune system is rejecting the plasma that Arthur gave her?  
>T-that means…that means that as of now…<br>She's slowly dying.  
>Tears sting at my eyes as I stare at her, peacefully sleeping…<br>And then—

"H-hey…Lauren..." I turn and see Zack, lying on his side to face this side of the room.

I stand and wander over to the empty chair next to his cot and sit.

"Yes?" I question dully.

"…Do you like me?" He asks.

I'm taken aback for a moment—"As in, how?"

"As in, do you trust me? You just seem like you don't like me much…did I do something wrong?"

I was about to respond with the obvious, but he continues: "I mean, before I was a traitor."

I think for a moment, and then smile.

"Yeah, you did."

Now it's his turn to be surprised—"What?"

"…You hurt my best friend."

Blasting past surprised, he becomes curious and worried, "H-how?"

"You made her unsure of her feelings for Josh and yourself. Believe me, that's a horrible thing to be confused about. Hurting one after choosing the other…" I trail off, going into a deep philosophical trance for a moment.

He was about to respond but I cut him off this time.

"In any matter of living, that choice must be made at some point or another…choosing a best friend in kindergarten, whence your mum explains that you can have more than one best friend…" Another pause, "Choosing between two potential dates as a teenager, in which it's common sense to know it's wrong to have both of them…" Another longer pause, "…Or between life and death."

I don't bother to explain, because it'd take all day, and finally, he realizes this and speaks up.

"So…I'm still unclear. You didn't like me before because I…traitor-ed…" He smiles, laughing in his mind, "But what about now?"

I think over this for a long time.

_**Can he be trusted now? Will he betray us again?**_

…

"I'll have to get back to you on that one. For now, you're dancing on a fine line, Zachary."

_**Ooh, you're so scary, using full first names!**_

"…Right…well, I hope you decide to trust me. I won't do anything to hurt any of you guys ever again…But it was either betrayal or the loss of Josie."

My eyes begin to droop as I suddenly hit the proverbial wall of sleep.  
>Zack smiles, and rolls over to face the ceiling as I stand to go back to Issa's side.<p>

"That's a kind thing to say, Zack…Right now, focus on healing. I don't think Issa can take any more sadness…So don't die." With those words, I collapse onto the semi-sterile linoleum floors, asleep…

…

My eyes open to see my old ceiling, decorated with two paper lanterns: one red, one yellow, both decorated with yellow tassels and a picture of cherry blossoms and birds printed on all four sides.  
>I look down to see my old cream-colored, mouthless teddy bear that I had since I was three, lying on the mahogany pillow covers, that were laying on the made indigo comforter, which on top of was me, in an orange sleeping bag.<p>

I look to my right—and there is my nightstand, my clock, an old soda bottle, a pencil sharpener, and a lamp, along with several pencils and markers…  
>The sunlight streamed in from the light purple Venetian blinds that covered the door to my fire escape.<br>Slowly, lazily, I ambled out of my sleeping back…and ended up face-first on the floor.

"OW!" I screech, and after a moment of dull thudding, my mum runs inside, her brown hair flailing behind her as she stands in the open door.

"Lauren, what's wrong?" I look up and gasp at the worry in my mum's cerulean eyes.

I scramble up and hug my mum tightly.

"Nothing's wrong anymore, mum, I'm home!" Tears threaten to gush out of my eyes as mum gently pats me on the back, confused.

"…Peanut, it's eleven twenty-four in the morning. You've been asleep all night…dear, did you have a nightmare?" She looks down into my eyes.

"No, mum! I was dead and I'm alive again! I went to Austria, and saved a girl from committing suicide! I—I fell in love with a Russian boy! I helped save the world!"

Her eyes roll affectionately as she hugs me again.

"Tenshi dropped by today, dear, you should get around and go play with your friend." Her comforting words make my heart race.

T-Tenshi?  
>And Rose?<br>I can see them again!

"Mum, I'm going!" I sob, grinning and giving my mum another tight squeeze before ripping through my closet, picking out a random shirt and a pair of jeans, and throw them on.

I look in the mirror…  
>My scar is gone?<br>The long, thin, white-pink marking that traveled across my throat has up and gone!  
>I grin and continue to sob as I look outside at the bright sunlight, into the backyard, and staring off at the vineyard on the hill a few houses away.<br>When I finish my tears of joy, I go to the bathroom, and perform bathroom stuff.  
>I clip on my favorite old necklace—a plain, thin chord with a brass, rectangular locket, with a slightly spiked ruby—and go to find some socks.<br>Instead, I find my Siamese cat, Angel, napping in my sock drawer…and, placing her on a rope attached to her blue collar, I continue my sock hunt.  
>When I do find the clothing, I put on my boots, and run outside, dancing, jumping, twirling along the road to Tenshi's home while Angel prances alongside me.<p>

When I arrive, I ring the doorbell, and Tenshi sees me and smiles.

"Hey, Ren! What's up?" She asks.

I hug her tightly, ignoring the fact that my necklace began to dig into my collarbone.

"Tenshi!" I scream, beginning to sob again, "I'm sorry!"

I release her and she looks utterly baffled.

"For what?" Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, "What did you do to those cookies you gave me?"

I laugh and wipe the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand, "No! I killed myself and went to Austria and then I became friends with a girl named Issa, whose blood triggered a bomb powerful enough to destroy countries, and then I fell in love with a guy named Dimah from Russia, and then I glomped Russia and France and a lot of other people and there was a SPAIN, and THEN—!" Through all that, I breathed only once—and that was before I started talking—so I took in a deep breath, "—And then I woke up and I'm here! Mum didn't believe me, but you do, right?"

She stares at me.

"…Yeah, I believe you."

I grin and go to hug her, but she continues, "I believe you're high. How many Pixy Stix did you have before you went to sleep last night? Fifty?"

I glare at her, but we both laugh—I can't stay mad at Tenshi, I'd hate myself for it.  
>When we finish our laughing fest, I giggle again.<p>

"I guess…maybe it all was just a dream…" She nods, and I sigh, "Well, let's go get Shan and Rosa." She nods again.

"Hey mum, I'm going to Shoshanna's!" Tenshi called, fluffing her black-cherry-colored hair (which basically means a really dark red-purple mixture) and we head off to Rose's home.

The two brunettes open the door, and a smile dawns upon their faces as well.

"Hey!" Rose and Shoshanna simultaneously squee, glomping me.

"Hey!" I say, grinning, and hug the sisters tightly.

I repeat everything I said to Tenshi to the sisters, and I notice Tenshi standing behind me and spinning her pointer finger in circles near her head.  
>After a minute of idle chatting, I get an idea.<p>

"Since it's such a nice day today, let's have a picnic!" I suggest, and they all nod in agreement.

"I'll get the drinks!" Rose chirped, "And Shan can grab the food!"

"I'll go get the music," Tenshi added, grinning.

"And I'll bring the rest of the stuff! Let's all meet in fifteen minutes on the hill!" I grin, and we all took off in opposite directions to our homes.

I carried Angel in my arms, fearing that if I let her loose she'd be choked by her collar and my running, and we arrived home in about a minute.  
>I grabbed a big, soft picnic blanket, a few pillows, four sets of tableware, and my sketchpad.<br>I flipped to the last page I'd drawn on, and was shocked to see that the yellow dress was still there…  
>Either way, I snatched up a pencil, placed Angel on my head, and took off toward the top of the previously mentioned hill, setting everything up after tying Angel's leash to a post.<p>

When I finished making everything exact and precise, my friends arrived together, Tenshi carrying a stereo and a large pile of CDs, plus her iPod and an iPod speaker, and the sisters carrying food and drink alike in two large picnic baskets.  
>Shoshanna smiled as Tenshi put on the old American movie, '<em>Holes'<em> soundtrack, 'Dig It', performed by the main cast.

"I like this song…" She mumbled, closing her eyes in content and pretending to compose it with her fingers.

I set the food onto everyone's plates according to the little chibis on the front of the plastic sandwich bags.  
>Tenshi had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with barbeque-flavored potato chips.<br>I had a beef-and-lettuce sandwich and a chocolate pudding cup, Rage had a tuna sandwich, and Shan had a Caesar salad.  
>We sat and talked for a while, eating our food, and when we finished we cleared the plates and remains of our prey into their places at the edge of the blanket.<br>I lay down and closed my eyes, soaking in the sunlight as warmth tingled at my skin…  
>But then, my peace was disrupted when I felt a pressure on my body from the neck down.<p>

"Finding Twitter questions, finding Twitter questions~!" Rose sang as she rolled over me, laughing.

This was a form of inside joke that she performed randomly…  
>Either way, I was out of breath from laughing by the time she stopped, and we all had laughed hard.<p>

"So, did you hear?" The attention was on me now, tension filling the air from Tenshi's excited question.

"N-no, I didn't hear…what didn't I hear?" I raise an eyebrow at my strange group of friends.

"We totally just caught a Charmander yesterday!" Shoshanna and Tenshi chirped at the same time.

I tilted my head, and suddenly the whole world seemed to crumble around me as my eyelids drooped, and I frowned, radiating sadness.

"What's wrong, Ren?" Rose asked.

"...And it was all…just a dream…" I mumbled, and lay down, curling into a ball to wake myself up…

Before I could, Rose yells, "PEPPERONI!" **(Relient K's hidden track on 'Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...But Three Do' is epic. I don't own o3o)**

I block out the noises as a sensation of falling washes over me as I command my brain to awaken...  
>And I did, in fact, bolt upward to see Dimah, sitting a few feet away, tilting his head and staring at me curiously.<p>

"Are you okay?" He asked, in Russian.

"…Yeah…just a bit tired, that's all…" I mumble, drawing circles on the semi-sterile floor.

"You seem sad." He points out…

I smile slightly, "…I guess I just…had a beautiful nightmare…"

"What do you mean?" He asks, helping me up, and we walk to what's currently my room, where we sit on my bed, each on one end.

"I…I dreamed…that…that I was back home in Britain…I had a picnic with my friends…but none of them believed me when I told them about all of this. They almost convinced me that all _this_," I waved my arm around for emphasis, "Was the dream…and then, it all crumbled away…"

Dimah scooted close and gave me a tight hug.  
>I notice the same, slightly painful digging sensation on my collarbone...<p>

"It's okay, Lauren. This world, now, is dark. One day, I know it will all be okay again…" He mumbles, and I smile, and peck him on the cheek, before my stomach decides to ruin the romantic moment by screaming "I WANT FOOD" at me.

Not literally…but you get it.  
>Dimah and I look at each other, and then crack up.<p>

"Well, I suppose I should go down to the kitchen…thanks for listening." I smile, and we exit the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen.

I smirk as we each fling an arm around each other and step in a strange pattern.  
>Nowadays, he's stopped dressing like Russia and just wears normal clothing—a long sleeve black shirt, jeans, and socks.<br>We reach the kitchen and I bustle around for a few minutes, pulling out various ingredients, and beginning to make cupcakes.  
>Dimah helps.<p>

Here's how the time lapse went:

We end up both coated in flour.  
>Austria walks in.<br>Austria screams at us in German.  
>I scream right back, also in German.<br>He stalks out of the room.  
>I finish the cupcakes.<br>We let them cool, and talk for a bit.  
>We frost the cupcakes with chocolate icing.<br>We nom the cupcakes victoriously!

And then Hungary appears, pulling me away, as I stretch an arm out to Dimah.

"Help," I mumble apathetically, and he just sits there, nibbling on a cupcake.

As I am pulled through hallways, Hungary finally stops, and I'm in some kind of costume storage room…

"Why am I here?" I question, poking around at the assorted outfits, ranging from a costume from the Phantom of the Opera to a mouse…

"Because, you and Dimah will go on a date~!" Hungary chirps, and I freeze as she holds up the clothing I loathe most…

A dress.  
>And not just any dress—a series of dresses, in all shapes, sizes and colors.<br>Suddenly, I feel inclined to run away, sock Hungary, or just give up and put on the dress for Dimah.

Help…me…

_**You're on your own, kid.**_

I begin to swear in Russian under my breath and flop onto a nearby chair as Hungary digs around the room for a few minutes.  
>I begin to mumble under my breath…<p>

_Try to give you warning  
><em>_But everyone ignores me  
><em>_Told you everything loud and clear…  
><em>_But nobody's listening  
><em>_Called to you so clearly  
><em>_But you don't want to hear me  
><em>_Told you everything loud and clear  
><em>_But nobody's listening_

For a moment, my mind wanders to Canada, but then my thoughts are broken when Hungary holds up a ghastly, disgustingly frilly, powder-puff-pink dress.

"You're kidding, right?" I question, raising an eyebrow, and she shrugs.

"Pink looks nice on brunettes!" She states with a sigh, and I roll my eyes.

She tore me away from my love and my cupcakes, so I'm in a bad mood.

I stare around and pick out a grey dress, that was floorlength and modest, although it had no sleeves or straps.  
>There was a minimal amount of beading on the front, but it made a nice, clear flower on the chest.<br>There was a loose piece of fabric that draped down over the skirt, and created a flowing effect.  
>If I had to go through the torture of wearing a dress, this would be it…<br>But then—

"No, no, grey just isn't your color!" Hungary drags me away to show me a bright yellow dress, that actually didn't look half bad.

The top was modest, and the actual skirt reached about calf-length, creating room for movement.  
>I slipped it on over my clothes and it fit, but then Hungary began to make a tut-tut noise.<p>

"Oh, dear. Yellow just washes you out…" I look in the mirror and discover that she was right—I looked about as pale as Issa right now.

A blue dress fell into my eyesight, and it was simply lovely—only, I would have to have been anorexic to fit into it…  
>That grey dress holds promise…so I gravitate toward it again, but am pulled away by Hungary.<p>

"Uh…can we do this later? I want to go check on—"

"Nein!" She announced, and I sigh.

"Fine. Let me put on the grey one," I nod at the dress, and after a few minutes of thinking, she pouts.

"Alright, you can wear the dress, but I warn you, it's not your…color…?" By the time she'd finished ranting, I had removed my clothing and slipped the dress on.

"It's really that awful?" I ask, and she immediately shakes her head.

"Nein, it's beautiful! … How could such a dull color work with such an … energetic girl?" She sounded a bit astounded. **(The rhyming time, she comes~)**

"Opposites attract…so, remind me why I've tried these things on?"

"At some point, Dimah is going to ask you on a romantic night out! You have to be prepared, right?" A twinkle in her eye tells me that this is some sort of dream for her.

"…I suppose…" I mumble, and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to clear a sudden headache.

Hungary proceeds to curl my hair, place sparkly things all over me—bracelets, clip-on earrings (I never bothered to pierce my ears…), bobby pins that have little gems in them…etc.  
>I refused to let her remove my locket, but I did find some latex to hide my scar for the time being.<br>I put my hair up the way I want it—in a curled ponytail with several strands hanging down to frame my face along with my bangs.

"…Do you really think he'll like it?" I ask nervously, blushing a bit.

"I don't know…but it's worth a shot!" Before I could respond, she kept going.

"Let's go show him~!" Hungary chirps, and drags me back to the kitchen.

No Dimah is to be seen.  
>I think for a moment, and head to the living room, where the big grand piano sits, and Dimah sits in front of the television, watching a Russian movie.<p>

"Dimah!" Hungary chirps, trying to sound like me, and then running off.

He turns around, curious, and his eyes widen.  
>I try my best to shrink back into the wall, but the accursed thing known as being solid kept me from doing so.<br>I settle for turning into a statue, with the slightest, nervous smile I'd ever made…  
>Suddenly, Dimah's face turns as bright red as the ruby in my locket, and his violet eyes seem to have problems attaching themselves to my face.<br>I do a little spin, and he stands up, and briskly walks over to me, enveloping me in a hug.

"You look…absolutely, undeniably beautiful…" He whispers, and I giggle.

Suddenly, England bursts in, arguing with France.

"Wanker!"

"Black sheep!"

They just keep repeating those same things—until France glances over at Dimah and I.  
>His face erupts into a creepy face, and that creepy French laugh emits from his throat.<p>

"Onhonhonhon~!"

Dimah stands behind me, sending a glare at the Frenchie and wrapping his arms around my waist protectively.  
>England's face softens, and…is…is he…crying?<p>

"My little Lauren…all grown up…!" He smiles, as do I, and I roll my eyes affectionately.

"Oh, hush…"

"WHERE'S THE TOMATOES!" Romano storms in, stopping dead in his tracks when he sees France—and then he sees what France is looking at.

Then his eyes trail up to my face.

"Bella…?" His voice was apprehensive, and I narrow my eyes.

"OI! JERK SPAIN!" The Spaniard ran in momentarily after Roma called for him.

I sigh, and stalk off to the music room, whence I discover that Dimah is following me with…is that blood on his knuckles?

I'm not going to bother asking.  
>Those perverts deserved it—unless…<br>He didn't sock Arthur, did he?  
>Either way, I sit in front of the piano, hitting random notes to make a loud, sour clatter, followed by another, and another as I take out my rage on the poor instrument.<p>

"LAUREN!" The angry, yet still flamboyant voice, screeches from the hallway.

My fingers freeze over the ivory keys **(More rhyming~) **as the door slams open.  
>I quickly switch my hand positions to play an actual song…<br>I begin to play _Requiem for a Dream_, one of the most beautiful songs I know…  
>Dimah stares blankly as he probably pictures some dream he's had…<br>The song tends to entrance people, or at least, me.  
>Even Austria seems impressed!<p>

I has a happy, for this is an unusually difficult feat…

Eventually, though, it had to come to an end, so I began to play Owl City's version of 'In Christ Alone'.  
>The piano is truly lovely in there. X3<br>Finally, I quit my music-ing and go to check on Issa.

She's still sleeping…  
>She's still white as snow…<br>I check her temperature, and—  
>Yep.<br>She's still feeling like a furnace.

Suddenly, the front door is loudly knocked upon.  
>I dash downstairs to it, and peek through the window to see…<br>Sydney, Alex, Rin…  
>Two munchkins, whom look about ten to eleven years old, one blonde and one brunette…<br>And one woman whom looks eerily like Issa and Renae…

I open the door apprehensively, and look at the Axis look-alikes for answers, but they merely remain silent, so I turn to the woman.

"Who are you?" I ask in German.

The woman pulls out a German-to-English dictionary, and I raise an eyebrow at the Axis.

"This is Rome and Germania," Sydney mutters.

"And this," The blonde kid says in German, "Is the mother of two of the people living here."

I pause.

"Zack and Josie?" That would explain the German-English book.

Rome shakes his head.

"That leaves…"

The thoughts connect in my brain, and I feel my eyes bulge out as Arthur appears behind me.

"Issa's mother?" I ask, in English, to the woman.

She looks tired, yet relieved, and nods.

"Finally, someone speaks English!" She gasps, "Wait, you know my daughter?"

I nod.

"She's in…well, come along. You have to see for yourself…"

And they all pile in, leaving me to lock the door behind them.

**Le end!  
><strong>**Of this chapter, derp.  
><strong>**I originally wanted to post it last night but it got too late, so here it is. :3**


	16. Mrs Pryce and Americat

**Kesesese~!  
><strong>**I'm bored and want to update with a le random filler.  
>KESESESE!<br>Fear my recent Prussia-obsession~! X3  
>WARNING: This chapter contains strange things. :3<strong>

**I OWN NOTHING! o3o**

* * *

><p>My heart pounds in my chest as thoughts race through my head.<br>This woman really is Issa's mother, right?  
>Would she be able to save <em>mia sorella<em>?  
>Ms. Issa's Mum blows past me, wide-eyed and frustratedly worried-looking.<p>

"Where is she?" She repeatedly mumbles under her breath, and I dash over to her—well, the best I could in these God-forsaken heels—and try to restrain her.

"Please, ma'am, we're doing everything we can…" The words are sweet to the ears but bitter on my tongue—I've always despised when people say that to me.

It's always lies.

"Where is she?" Issa's mum looks like she's holding all her emotion back as she speaks, "Please, I need to see her, where is she?"

Her words strike a chord in my heart.  
>She truly does worry about her children…<br>My mum thinks I'm dead and gone…

"Miss, she's asleep now, she needs rest. Please calm down," Arthur says, andGermaniabegins to walk toward the infirmary.

I am about to go to stop him, but suddenly the door slams open, and there stands Issa, dizzy and confused, but surprised as well, to see Germania.  
>She weakly pushes past him, and slowly picks up speed to where she runs into her mother's arms.<p>

Shocked, I stand in awe.  
>She's strong enough to stand…?<br>No, she shouldn't yet—not yet—she's still too weak!

"Issa, you need to go back in!" Arthur and I voice, in several different ways, but she ignores us.

I can tell that just standing is causing her pain…  
>Her eyes are clenched shut, tightly.<br>Finally, she acknowledges Arthur's and my pleading, and hobbles back into the infirmary.  
>She sits cross-legged on her cot and Canada steps over, gently placing the IV back into her arm.<p>

"I'm going to duct-tape this to your arm…" He mumbles, and in response, Issa grips him with her free arm, hugging him and laughing through a sob.

Issa's mother and Arthur begin to talk.

"So…my baby's dying?" Issa's mother's voice is filled with sorrow as she spoke.

"…I'm sorry. Her blood type is extremely rare, and her immune system is rejecting the plasma we'd tried to give her…" Arthur is genuinely sorrowful, as are we all…Issa is important to all of us.

A moment of tense silence passes, but then, "However, there is a way we can at least keep her alive…" England continues.

I feel myself jolt upward, and Issa's mother does the same, as we both look at Arthur with hope.

"Really?" Ms. Mum asked hopefully.

Arthur nods, "Yes. If you would let us take some of your blood to give to her…there is a high chance she'll live."

I smile despite the mood, as Issa's mother agrees, and England proceeds to take the blood.  
>I flinch at the needle, but cannot rip my eyes away from the blood slowly filling the vial.<br>Issa watches curiously as Arthur doesn't hesitate to inject the blood into Issa's arm.  
>She yelps, obviously not expecting this—but nonetheless remains still.<br>Arthur looks relieved…

"So…she's not going to die now?" Ms. Mum asks apprehensively.

Arthur looks at her, then Issa.

"I sure hope not…" He mumbles, and I take this chance to sit down at Issa's side.

"There. You bloody well not die now," I tease, poking her gently.

She only smiles and nods…

"Are you suggesting that we are incompetent? That we are such morons that we cannot win against two nations?"Austria yells from the hallway while pounding his fist on the wall.

I flinch, as does Issa.

"Well, who got his panties in a knot?" I question, and Teacup face-paws at my lame attempt at humour.

Issa leans over to see more.

"Austria, you will show your grandfather respect or I'll—"Germania says angrily.

Here, I lean in to see what's going on as well.

"You'll what?" Austria demands, flailing his arms in fury, "You can't do anything to me, Germania, I am my own country! I can fend for myself, and I don't need the help of a dead nation!"

After a few seconds of the two imagining each other's demise, Germania says in a menacing whisper, "I am here on orders. My boss sent Rome and myself to help the situation. I am not here willingly. If it were up to me, I would not have even set foot on this mess of a planet. I apologize if you are not in need of assistance, but, I guess...what do humans use nowadays?...Ah, yes. I guess it 'sucks for you.'"

The two send mental swords into the other's eyes for a minute before Austria hisses something that I can't make out.  
>Then he leaves, and the chibi empire is left to think about whatever Austria just told him.<br>He glances at Issa for a second. 

But then, with the battle cry of, "OI! GRAMPS!", little Germania is glomped by Prussia.

I giggle.  
>Germania's face is squished in the carpet as Prussia sits on his back.<br>When Prussia finally lets Germania up, they exchange cheerful greetings.

Prussia snickers something about his short hair, and Germania answers with "Yes, I'm not entirely sure how it got this length..."

Prussia cracks up.

"Kesesese! That's what she said!" To which Germania confusedly replies, "That's what who said...?"

Prussia only laughs harder.

I bloody swear, I can hear a chorus of "Onhonhon~" and "Fusosososo" to accompany the "Kesesese".

I snort and roll my eyes.

Somewhere, there is an angry England and a moody Romano stomping the life out of France and Spain…  
>Poor Spain.<br>I can hear the screams of agony…

**_Such a beautiful noise…_**

Unannounced, Issa flops onto the bed with a sigh.  
>Ms. Mum stares at her questioningly, as do I.<br>…She's thinking.  
>Her facial expression and the way her eyes are tell me this…<br>And then, she's asleep.

I smile, and pat her gently on the head, as I usually do, and most people—all but Arthur, Ms. Mum, and myself—clear out of the room.

"Um…I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Issa's mother, Mrs. Pryce," Ms. Mum says, and my attention snaps to her.

The words were, in fact, directed at me.  
>I smile again.<p>

"All is forgiven, Mrs. Pryce. My name is Lauren Cohen, Issa's unofficial psychologist and court jester," I respond, and she laughs quietly and nods in greeting.

"So…it sounds like everyone here plays a part in this…what do they all do?"

I think for a moment, biting the lower-right part of my lip and glancing toward the ceiling.

"Well, Austria lives here—he was the man who was arguing with Germania. Arthur, or England, is basically the doctor here, and Canada, or Matthew, helps him with that. Hungary lives here, too—she enjoys dressing me up, apparently. She's the reason I'm in this blasted thing…" I tug the front of my dress up from its sliding position, "America just kind of lounges around. He was actually one of the ones whom helped keep Issa safe, though, like most of the people here…" I continue explaining everyone's part in this war.

Finally I reach myself, and I narrow my eyes, a sudden wave of drowsiness falling over me, "And I suppose you want to know about me, as well…" I reach both my hands up to my neck, using my left to grip my locket and the right to tug the latex off my neck to reveal my scar.

"I originally lived in London, Britain." I notice Arthur shiver a bit here…odd… "I had a mum, a dad, a sister and a brother—well, actually, I have two sisters and a stepbrother as well. My second-oldest sister, Jennifer, died a few years ago in a car crash. I'm schizophrenic. I have a cat in my head named Teacup, whom tells me things…but please, don't be frightened."

Her wide eyes trace my collarbone and up, but pause to stare at my neck.

"…I suppose I should explain that…" She nods.

"Well, in short, Teacup told me to die so I did. I'd been bullied, and scarred, and generally depressed…but somehow, I'm here. It's just as well that I am, too—or your daughter wouldn't be in existence anymore."

A shocked look passes Mrs. Pryce's face, and I tilt my head a bit and smile, "Well, she was in a tree about to jump when I was walking by. She was screaming, "I don't want to die," and luckily, I speak Japanese. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to understand her…Well, I got her out of the tree. I learned who she was and why she was trying to commit suicide…and it shocked me, to be honest. So now, here I am, trying to keep her safe and happy…" I trail off, and she seems to blankly process this information.

I stand and step over to Arthur, realizing something important—not once have I given my nation a hug from what I can remember!  
>Maybe it's just my short-term hug memory loss…<br>Which, basically, means I can give/receive a hug and not remember it, later to get another and probably forget it, too…

"Lauren? What's—oh!" He grunts in surprise at I gently wrap my arms around him, burying my face into his chest.

"You're warm and cuddly…kind of like a cat…" I mumble my thoughts out loud.

England looks at me funny, and I smile brightly, nod in parting and skip out of the room, immediately crashing into Rome.

"Ciao, bella~!" He chirps—I understand that.

"…Ciao." I mumble.

He grins at me, and in return, I raise a questioning eyebrow and continue onward.  
>I bump into a bruised Frenchie a few minutes later, but he's still snickering about Prussia's boorish comment.<br>I bump him on the head and continue to skip along when I notice the eyes staring at me from wherever I go.  
>I raise an eyebrow and realize that it's just Austria-cat…hmm.<p>

I proceed to look for America, and when I find him, I tackle him in a hug.

"DUDE!" He shouts, and I grin like a wild person.

"Go get Americat!" I squeal.

He raises an eyebrow, shrugs, and then poofs away.

I sit and wait for him to return, and when he does, a fluffy cat with a fluffier dark brown collar of fur around its neck is in his arms.

"Meow~!" It purrs, and I grin, and America hands him to me.

"Careful with him, mmkay?" I nod and take off with Americat, snuggling him close to me.

I love kitties. X3

Eventually, though, I crash into another person—Romano.

"Roma!" I squeal, going in for the glomp, which no one foresees.

Thus he is now on the floor, being huggled by myself and a feline.

"WHAT THE CRAPOLA?" He shouts, but I silence him by squeezing him tight around the stomach.

I proceed to jump up and take off, skipping along with Americat on my head.

"Mow~!" He purrs.

I giggle and continue until I crash into someone else, whom happens to be Alina.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I apologize in Russian.

She smiles at me, "I forgive you," and skips along.

I continue until I reach a dead end, where I find a drawer hanging open in an end-table.  
>In it, I find an old, dusty leather book…oh, it's a…book of…music.<br>Nice, Austria.

I sigh and place the book back in its drawer, heading downstairs again…  
>I wonder if Issa's awake…?<br>Several thoughts began drifting through my head, including a song from a movie I'd loved to death, _The Phantom of the Opera_, the song being _Wishing you were Somehow here Again._

_Too many years, fighting back tears…  
><em>_Why can't the past just die?_

I reach the infirmary, where Mrs. Pryce sits, holding her child's hand and stroking her hair gently as silent tears run down her face.  
>I smile and sit on the other side of my best friend.<p>

"Hello, Mrs. Pryce…" I softly say, and she just now notices me.

"O-oh, hello, Lauren…" She smiles, and I nod at her.

"…I think you should go get something to eat, or maybe some rest…you must've been traveling for a long time…please, ma'am, go rest," I say, and eventually she goes, probably going to find food or somewhere to sleep.

Issa's eyes open from their peaceful dreaming just at her mother exits, and she sits up.  
>I notice that her face has regained a bit of color…<br>I didn't expect the blood to fix itself that fast…  
>Well, miracles happen every day…I suppose you just need to know where to look.<p>

"Morning," I troll, pretending to sip from a teacup as I grin and imitate George Weasley.

She softly laughs, as do I.

"You're looking more like yourself. That's a wonderful thing," I grin, and she nods.

**_Why? So she can fail again? Why is it so very wonderful that she can try to die again? Leave this place. See how she does without you—how long she'll last. You saved her pitiful waste of a life the minute you arrived in this god-forsaken nation._**

_She's not a waste…she's a savior…_

**_Shut up! You know nothing of saviors! _**

…  
>Teacup's words stab me like a knife.<br>I feel a prickle at my eyelids…  
>No.<br>I'm not going to cry.  
>I have to keep strong for Issa, and for myself.<p>

**_Go ahead, show your weakness. Cry, human, cry and suffer the embarrassment!_**

I have no way to hold the tears back, so I bend my head and let my bangs hide my liquid weakness.

"Lauren? …What's wrong?" Well, that was pointless.

"Everything…and nothing…" I mumble, and a silence passes over us for the time being, other than Teacup ranting in my head, torturing me…

I look at Issa for a moment, and flinch—Teacup is calling me rude things that I'd rather not recount.

"Lauren…it's okay," She mumbles, and I shake my head, mumbling 'no' over and over again.

"No…no…Nothing's okay…no…I'm pathetic…I have no reason to cry…it's just..words…no…"

Apparently, my rambling satisfies Issa enough for her to reach over and give me a one-armed hug.

Eventually, I get a satisfyingly painful headache, which usually shuts Teacup up, and it does.  
>I sniffle myself into silence, and Issa lets go of me as I rub my eyes free of the cursed weakness.<p>

"…I think France is in the kitchen if you want to go stab and/or hug him…" Issa jokes, and I actually manage to laugh.

She smiles when she sees the tears have ended, and gives her own chuckle.

"Heh, no, he's a creep today…" I sigh.

"What did he do?" Issa's tone suggests worry.

"Nothing. I think I've mentioned before that I'm bi-French, right?" I turn to her, and she shrugs.

"Oh, yeah…"

Suddenly, an old Christmas carol pops into my head, and being the twisted mind it happened to land in, I turned it into Hetalia.

_"You better watch out, better stay inside…better lock your doors and windows at night…cuz the Frenchie's coming, to town~!" _I sing, and Issa bursts into gales of laughter.

By the time she calms herself, her face is a light red shade…that's a great sign. :3

After a few minutes of talking, she goes unconscious again.  
>As usual I pat her head and leave the room, going to find a cookie.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I had writer's block!<br>This is what I could manage out when I'm half-dead and sleepy and blocked with writer-ness. TT^TT  
><strong>**I have my own set of questions for you, this time~!**

**One: How would you react to two tiny nations appearing and, in one's case, hitting on you?  
><strong>**Two: Why did England shiver when Lauren said, "I originally lived in London, Britain…"?  
><strong>**Random Question: What's your biggest fear?  
><strong>**Three: Do you have any pets?  
><strong>**Four: If so, do they resemble Hetalia characters?**

**Ciao~!**


	17. First Date

**Slightly sad chapter with a side of humor, comin' up. :3  
><strong>**I own nothing~! XD  
><strong>**This is a few hours later than the last chapter.**

* * *

><p>I run upstairs, and stop in front of Issa's and my bedroom door.<br>What did I come up here for…?

…

…

I shrug and head back downstairs.  
>As soon as I put my foot on the first step down, the objects that lost themselves in the mess that is my mind appear:<p>

Makeup!

I dash into the room, past the beds and dressers, dodging a few clothing items strewn across the floor and into the bathroom.  
>I pull open the drawer, feeling my heart thump heavily in my chest—my first date with Dimah!<br>The giddiness fuels my application of foundation.  
>After properly finishing that, I apply a small amount of blush, and then the matte finishing powder.<br>Then comes the eyeshadow…a delicate shade of purple, and then black eyeliner.  
>I curl my eyelashes, and then apply mascara—and after a few more seconds, I curl my lashes again.<br>I feel a smile unable to stop on my face, and I giggle and squee, then calm myself down enough to apply a dark-ish shade of lip gloss.

I smile at myself in the mirror.

_**I hate to admit it, but you do look almost…acceptable.**_

I take this to be as close as an approval I could get from my fluffy mental burden and dash downstairs, hiking my dress's front up again, and see Dimah standing and listening to Arthur and Hungary with a look of nervousness on his face.

I catch the ending of the conversation:

"…And if I find out you hurt her, you'll wish you were never born." Arthur makes his threat and Dimah nods, though not a word was understood.

"Da," He states, and Arthur is satisfied.

Then they notice me—Dimah is the first to see me as I make the cliché walk down the stairs with a nervous smile on my face as one crosses his.

Our eyes meet, and Hungary begins to take pictures.

_**Blasted woman…**_

Actually, Teacup will show up in pictures sometimes, wrapped around my neck…

"You look beautiful," Dimah says, and I hug him tightly.

"You look pretty good yourself~!" I chirp.

He was wearing a black button-up dress shirt and black dress pants.

I exchanged my heels for my boots, but no one will know—my dress is floor-length. :3

"Well, I'm going to go say bye to Issa," I say, and then I bounce away toward the infirmary.

Issa looks surprised to see me, glancing up from the book she was reading.

I smile at her and she just kind of gapes for a moment.

"Wow, you're wearing makeup, too? I didn't think you ever would…" She jokes, and I pout.

"Shut up," I glare, but end up laughing with her.

I give her a hug and she wishes me luck, and then Dimah and I leave a little hastily—I think he was scared that Arthur would snipe him from the back as we were leaving…

"We'll be back around eleven~!" I call.

**England's POV**

**A few minutes ago**

Dimah steps out from the kitchen wearing a dress shirt and pants.

I look up from my book, **(Is everyone reading today? XD) **and questioningly stare at him.

Issa did something with the computer once, to talk to him.

I find a laptop and open the page—Google Translate, I think—and type out the words I mean to ask him.

_What's the occasion? You look a bit spiffed up._

The words automatically translate to Russian, and Dimah stares at the screen for a moment.

He switches it to English, and begins to reply.

_I am taking Lauren to a restaurant._

I stare at the screen with a blank expression.

Taking Lauren to a restaurant, eh?

_Why?_

_Because I love her. I am her boyfriend, and couples go on dates, yes?_

…_I suppose._

Hungary walks into the room and sees my glaring daggers at the Russian boy.

Who does he think he is, taking my citizen on a date without my permission?

Honestly, she's like my daughter!

"What's going on?" Hungary chirps, making me jump a bit.

"Dimah is, apparently, taking Lauren on a date," I respond through grit teeth.

"Oh, I know~! I helped Lauren pick her dress!"

I stare at her with my mouth agape, silently gesturing at her questioningly.

"Why was I not notified?" I sputter, and she shrugs.

I narrow my eyes at her as she skips away, and then I turn on Dimah.

"You listen, young man, if I hear a single tear coming from Lauren, I will send you back to Russia in a bloody matchbox!" He doesn't understand the words I say but my expression makes my intentions clear.

His eyes go wide and he stiffens, but nods.

Hungary returns as we all wait at the door for my Lauren, holding a camera.

"So help me, Dimah, I swear if she even _starts_ to tear up, I will kill you! And if I find out you hurt her, you'll wish you were never born!" The language barrier is chipped at through my face.

My eyes are wide, my brows are knit together, and my teeth are bared as I tower over the Russian boy.

He nods, and gives a meek "Da" as his response.

Suddenly, Hungary begins to snap pictures behind me.

I turn around to see Lauren on the stairs, slowly wandering her way down.

Her hair is curled and the blond highlights are shown off proudly…do I see a bit of purple in there?

Her eyes are decorated with a delicate purple that goes well with her dress, and her scar is hidden once again by the latex, her mysterious brass locket hanging from her neck.

A soft smile presents itself on her dark lips—the color isn't too bright, or too dark.

I smile at her, and she smiles back.

She grins, however, when Dimah smiles…

They talk in Russian for a moment and she gives him a hug, and then skips off into the infirmary, probably saying goodbye to Issa.

A minute later she returns with a grin, and the two leave, chattering in Russian—then—

"We'll be back around eleven~!"

Anxiety starts to fill my being as Hungary pats me on the shoulder, "She'll be okay. Dimah is a good boy."

I sigh and shake my head, feeling a headache coming on.

I go to the kitchen and begin to prepare some tea, when the frog walks in.

"Onhon~! Where is Lauren? We were speaking of roses earlier, but she was whisked off by Hungary once again!" As usual, he must be dramatic, and I roll my eyes.

"She's on a date with Dimah," I state, and he gasps.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"For once I agree with you. No one told me, either…" I mumble, and he sneaks up behind me.

"…Are you jealous?" He whispers, and I turn around and glare at him.

"Bloody heck, no! She's my citizen and like a daughter if anything!" I shout, accidentally dropping the tea packet.

"I see…Fatherly affection, non~?" I nod, and leave the room with my tea.

All I have to do right now is wait for Lauren to return…

So I pick up my book, make myself comfortable, and begin reading, ignoring the frog.

**Lauren's POV**

**Four hours later**

Dimah and I return to find an angry-looking Arthur, a sad France, and an excited Hungary.

I am ambushed by Hungary and France, unwillingly leaving Dimah with Arthur.

"How did it go?" Hungary chirps.

"Well, we—"

"What happened?"

"I was saying—"

"Give us details!"

"Come on, speak up!"

"I—'

"Why aren't you talking?"

_**Shut up…just SHUT UP!**_

I am filled with anger, and black out.

**Teacup's POV**

"Why aren't you talking?" That idiotic gay man questions Lauren.

His voice is annoying…

So is the woman's.

"Shut up…just SHUT UP!" I shout, and for a moment—for a moment, I see a gap to get into Lauren's nervous system.

I take control of her vocals.

"JUST BLOODY SHUT UP! I'M SICK OF YOU! ALL OF YOU!" I make her scream, and the two jump back, looking hurt and shocked.

I grin, and what I do, she does as well.

"You all are just trying too hard to make me happy. Well, did you ever consider that maybe I hated all of this? That I don't want to be here?" I make her lie.

She truly loves this place.

Suddenly, I begin to lose control…

"Get out…" She mutters, her soul pushing me out of control.

I fight back, but it's a losing battle.

**Lauren's POV…again**

I feel Teacup fight against my soul after he takes control.

"GET OUT!" I scream again, and this reaches my vocal chords.

France and Hungary scramble away.

"GET OUT, BLOODY CAT!" I shriek, and gain control over my limbs, and begin to flail uncontrollably.

Dimah and Arthur run over and hold me still as I struggle against Teacup.

"GET OUT!" I keep repeating, and Mrs. Pryce wheels Issa out in a wheelchair.

"What's going on?" She shouts, and jumps.

Teacup glares at her.

Eventually, I tame the beast inside me and look around as Dimah and Arthur release me.

Everyone is scared…and some angry…

Tears prickle at my eyes as I run upstairs and lock the door behind me.

I rip off the dress (not literally—I wouldn't damage it intentionally) and throw it on the floor, kicking it across the carpet by a whole foot.

I throw on a black baggy t-shirt and rip off the latex on my neck.

It stings and burns and irritates my scar…

The tears freely pour, and I feel my mascara running.

I put on grey sweatpants

I run into the bathroom and find a bunch of paper towels to clean my face with.

"You stupid," I wipe off the eyeshadow, "Bloody," And there goes the lipstick, "Cat!"

I growl at my head and begin to get a headache again.

_**What did I do?**_

"EVERYTHING!" I roar, and fall onto my bed, drowning in sorrow.

I feel like I'm going to throw up, and then die…

That sounds good…

I think I might…

I stand and look for something to end with when the door opens a bit, revealing a violet eye.

It isn't Austria…he's probably angry with me.

It wouldn't be Canada…he may not be mad but he's probably scared of me by now…

Most of the nations are…

That leaves one.

"L-leave me alone," I sob, but the door opens anyway, and Dimah wanders in, in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"What happened?" He asks, and I growl at him halfheartedly.

"I…Teacup happened…He took over…They…they shouldn't have ambushed me like that…!" I stop talking as my voice breaks.

He pulls me close, and I hit him on the chest.

He grunts, but gently brings my face up to look at him.

His eyes are filled with concern, and worry.

Slowly he brings his lips to mine, and my pain melts away.

When we separate, he wipes the tears from my eyes, and I lay on his shoulder.

We just sit in silence for a moment before he speaks up.

"It's okay. No one blames you for having a demon…I still love you…" He smiles, and I sigh.

"Thanks…" I sigh, and suddenly, I pass out.

**Yey! Rushed chapter! :D**


	18. Memories of a Nation

**I OWN NOTHING! :U  
><strong>**So, guess what I found out?  
><strong>**I'm French.  
><strong>**Yeah, you hear me, F-R-E-N-C-H.  
><strong>**Onhonhonhon~ so on and so forth.  
><strong>**Stop!  
><strong>**Story-time~**

* * *

><p>When I awake, Dimah is gone, but I'm under mein blankets.<br>Did he do that…?  
>Aww. X3<p>

I smile at the act of kindness as I sit up, only to see a peacefully dozing Austria-cat at the foot of my bed.  
>I reach over and gently scratch behind the prissy feline's ears, but shockingly he doesn't wake up, but purrs and continues sleeping for the time being.<br>I carefully get up as to not wake the fluffy and look out the window, adjusting my top with one hand—my shoulder was getting cold…

The sun is just barely rising, the first rays peeking over the horizon of the view from the window and landing on the snow, making it sparkle.  
>The snow flurries down in small flakes, and the multicolored blue skies were dyed white with clouds filled with the beauty.<br>…It's a beautiful sight indeed.  
>Another smile crosses my face, and I get the feeling that today is going to be a good day…<p>

Then the memories of last night come crashing down, and my happiness is over.

I scared everyone, and made them angry, and most of them probably won't talk to me now…  
>I sigh and sit in front of the window, staring out at the sunrise for a while, before—<p>

_**MHHRRRRFEEDMEEEHHHH.**_

I sigh, and stand, flicking the center of my forehead.

"Teacup, you are some kind of ghost-cat-spirit-demon-thing, and thus do not eat. Parasites don't eat, they feed off of what the victim eats," I mumble, and I feel a cat wrap around my ankles.

_**Don't be difficult, fluffy…**_

Looking down, I see Austria-cat, twisting himself around my ankles and meowing loudly.  
>Apparently, he's hungry as well…<p>

"C'mon, let's go nom noms." I mumble, and the cat follows me downstairs to the kitchen.

"OHMFRICKINNOM!" I shout, diving into the kitchen head-first, only to see…

No one.  
>The flapping doors nearly shut on Austria-cat, but I catch it in time for him to squeeze through.<p>

"I guess it's just you and me, Austria-cat," I mumble, and look at the food on the counter.

…

Maybe I should check on Issa first…  
>I notice a corn cob sitting on the counter.<br>I look around before snatching it and putting it in my pocket…  
>I am about to exit the kitchen when Austria-cat meows loudly, demanding food.<br>I sigh, and turn to find him a can of tuna.  
>When I do, he purrs and…winks at me…?<p>

Weirded out, I begin my trek to the infirmary, only to be distracted by the most humdrum things.  
>As I walk, something curious befalls my eyesight…<br>Why is Prussia…wearing _footie pajamas_…?  
>It takes me about twenty minutes to reach the room and hear the sounds of voices.<p>

"…I love you," I hear a soft voice mumble, but it isn't Canada…is it?

I burst in, and the first thing I notice is the plate of pancakes in Issa's lap.

"Ooh, pancakes!" I chirp, diving into the seat next to Issa.

I reach my hand out to grab a bit of the fluffy breakfast when Issa slaps my hand away, and hisses, "Mine!"

I grin, and begin to make that 'tut-tut-tut' noise that people make.

"Someone needs to work on their sharing skills."

Canada makes himself known by the nervous giggle he made, followed by, "They're really that good…?"

Issa looks shocked.

"Dude, they're better than good!" She announces, "They're frickin' _awesome!_"

Canada's smile rivals the sunrise in brightness.

"Alright, I'm getting my own," I mumble, and zip into the kitchen to find a large stack of the fluffy awesome.

I take two, apply butter, and _drown_ them in syrup before carrying them back into the infirmary.  
>Kumajiro, the polar bear (whom I also just notice now) wanders over to Canada and tugs on the hem of his pants leg.<p>

"I'm hungry," The bear mumbles, and Canada picks him up and carries him off—to feed him, I suppose.

As they exit, I hear, "Who are you…?" And facepalm.

I begin to nom my noms, which happens to be when Issa finishes hers.

"So, what did you do last night? You were all prettied up and in a dress…" She mumbles, and a mixture of happiness and guilt flows through me.

"You don't remember…?" I ask, "You came downstairs and saw my…" … Is there even a term for being possessed by a demonic cat and making everyone hate your guts? "…Scene."

"Did I? … Huh." She is truly shocked.

I eat more pancake before I respond again, trying to put the spasm into words, "…Well, you know Teacup?"

Issa nods, "Can I kill him yet?"

Despite my daily sadness, this statement makes me laugh.

"No. Then I'd die too. Well...he kinda...took over me last night. I don't know how. But he was controlling me. He yelled at Hungary and France for asking too many questions about my date with Dimah. Scared the bloody heck out of everyone when I was fighting against him..." I mumble.

Issa's face is solemn and focused, when suddenly, she reaches over and flicks my forehead.

"Ow!" I exclaim through laughter, "What was that for?"

Issa grins, and says, "That was for Teacup."

She leans in close to my ear, and even if her voice is unusually soft, she still yells loudly in my ear: "YOU HEAR THAT, YOU DUMB CAT? GET OUT OF HER HEAD!"

I flinch and look at Issa, whom goes back to her usual sitting position.  
>Within seconds, we're both laughing, hard, despite the pain in my head.<p>

"He hears what I hear. So the shouting's not mandatory…"

"Oh. Sorry," Issa sheepishly mumbles.

Suddenly, the changes in Issa hit me like bricks.

"By the way," I question, "are you feeling alright? Your voice is kinda...Canadian."

Issa giggles at my choice of words.

"Yeah. I feel better than I have in days. I don't know why my voice is like this. Oh, and look," She points at her forehead where a long strand of hair…floats, a curl in the middle, "I have a Canadian curl, too."

Curiously, I reach toward it, but withdraw when she yells, "Don't touch it!"

"…That's weird." I state.

"I know. Something about this isn't right... I just have a bad feeling," Issa says.

France struts into the room and interrupts the conversation.

I hold my knife tightly in my hands and resist the urge to attack him, settling instead for asking, "Get enough beauty sleep, Frenchie?"

"I did, thank you, my dear," He responds, missing my teasing completely and giving off a creepy smile.

I twitch and Issa reaches over, removing the fork and knife from my hands.

"I'll just confiscate any sharp objects…" She mumbles.

I stare at her, as does France.  
>It wasn't her words that shocked us—no, not at all…<br>It's…

"What…?" Do I still have maple syrup on my face…?"

"Ohonhonhonhon~!" France begins laughing, but I can't stop staring at her syrup-free face.

"Okay, seriously, _what?_" I can tell she's nervous, but it takes me a minute to get my mouth to work…

When I do, I change my language from Japanese to…

"…You're speaking French."

**THE END!**

**Just kidding, that'd be too short~!**

**X3**

**French!Lauren is amused. ^w^**

For a moment, she just kind of stares at us.  
>Then, in a somehow graceful-ish movement, she falls backward onto the bed and lets out a groan.<p>

"And I thought this couldn't get any weirder…" She mutters irritably.

She looks upset—I probably shouldn't say anything…  
>France is being no help with his irritating Onhonhon-ing…<br>Suddenly, Canada walks in, and you can tell the tension in the room hits him like a doorway heater at a supermarket in winter…

"…What happened?" He questions in Japanese.

_**Oh, did you not get the memo? We're all French now!**_

Issa sits up and shrugs, upset.

"I don't know! I'm speaking French. _French!_ I don't _know_ French! I never intended to_ learn_ French! This is—…this is—…Agh!" She shouts, obviously frustrated, flopping back onto the bed and pushing the pillow against her face.

…

Everything is almost silent for a moment—Americat was in a corner, watching the whole commotion, and his tail made a little swishing noise...  
>I shake my head in frustration, and keep a close watch on Issa to make sure she's not suffocating herself.<br>After another minute or two, she sits up, and just kind of cuddles the pillow.  
>Everyone was quietly worrying about Issa—even France didn't seem to want to crack a perverted joke.<br>Arthur walks in.

"Morning, all. Issa, how are you?" He greets.

Issa snorts before grunting, "French," in the language.

Arthur is horrified.

"Wha—how—"

Issa shrugs.

"That's the thing. _I don't know!_" … … Wait a minute.

She was speaking French…  
>And…and now she's speaking…<br>She's speaking Japanese again?

…

I am baffled and confused beyond human comprehension.

"It's Canadian-French," France says.

"But if...Why am I speaking any form of French?" France just shakes his head solemnly.

Suddenly, something seems to dawn on Issa…  
>Canadian-French…French is an official language of Canada…<br>But so—so is English…so can she—

"Canada, do you know what's happening?" She asks in English, and the shy nation jumps when Issa switches languages, but just shakes his head.

"I don't know. Wh-why can you—…?"

Issa shakes her head this time, "I don't know. This is all really, really weird," She says, returning to Japanese.

"I mean, Kumajello—"

"Kumajiro!" I Nazi her grammar.

"Right. Kumajiro said I smell like you, whatever you smell like to him, I mysteriously grow a curl like yours, I speak French-Canadian and English, which are your two official languages...This is...this is just..." She seems unable to describe the situation…

Bizarre, peculiar, unusual, strange, frickin' creepy…take your pick of words…

"…Weird." She finally finishes, and I mentally facepalm.

_**Out of all the options she could've used…weird?**_

I sigh and she brings her knees up to her chest, squishing the pillow.  
>She glares at her arm, and for a moment, I doze off into my world of Russians, cookies and lettuce…<p>

"What the French toast?" She suddenly shrieks, and I am back to reality…I think.

Worry fills me as she stares at her left arm…

"Wh-what!" The room choruses.

""It's—It—healed! It _healed_! Oh my gosh, what the frick?" She stares continuously in shock at her arm, where the cut was—instead of being scabbed over, it was simply a thin, light pink line.

Her hand flies up to her cheekbone, where she rubs the scar on her face there as well…

"What. The. _Crap__?_" she growls, digging her face into the pillow once again.

Arthur steps over and lifts her arm to inspect it—one of them was making it tremble, but I don't think it's Arthur...  
>I wince as I watch the needle being pulled from Issa's arm.<br>England runs his finger over where the needle just left, and frowns.

"That's not right," He says simply.

"Pardon my French, but," Issa changes to that dialect, "No derp, Sherlock." Her voice is muffled by the pillow.

Arthur raises a poofy eyebrow at her words, for he cannot understand them.  
>I give a short laugh at her sarcasm, but it is stifled quickly.<p>

…

Arthur's lips slowly twitch upward into a slightly scary smile…

"Why are you _smiling?_" I ask, confused.

A blue eye peeks out from the pillow concealing my best friend's face.

"This is magic," Arthur says breathlessly.

"Excuse me?" I snap, raising an eyebrow.

"_Magic!"_ he repeats, his voice rising, "Don't you see?" His grin widens.

"I'll show America magic is real. This'll show him!" And with that, England runs a few steps away and poofs off to a random place.

I stare at the spot where he vanished and Issa and I are silent for a while.

"...I'm screwed," She finally announces.

I can't help but giggle at this.

"...What happened?" Zack slurs, waking up, "You're all gathered around Issa. What now?" Without thinking, he rubs his eyes while sitting up.

I gasp.  
>He shouldn't be able to sit up without excruciating pain…!<br>I bound over and push him down gently.

"You were shot in a vital organ a few days ago, and you think you're well enough to sit up?" I demand.

"Wha—Yes," Zack states, "Yes, I do. It doesn't hurt," he says, stubbornly rising up on an elbow.

I am about to argue when Issa speaks up.

"Lauren, I think what's happening to me is happening to him, too, but with America," She says.

I sigh and am silent.

Canada, being a good little man-nurse, comes over and unwraps the bandages from around Zack's waist. **(I kept that line in here 'cuz it's frickin' hilarious. I legit laughed for about three minutes with just the seven words that start the sentence. XD)**

Canada pauses and stiffens.

"See?" Zack says, "I'm better. I know it's really freaky, but I'm okay."

Canada walks backward and flops onto a plastic chair.

"This is..."

Zack sits up.

"Not right," he finishes.

Suddenly, he frowns and pats his chest.

Then he grins.

"I have a six-pack!" He exclaims happily.

The tension of the moment breaks, and we all crack up.  
>Just the unadulterated absurdity contrasting the dread of our nameless situation is outright laughable.<p>

Then, the door opens, and in comes Harvey.

"Good morning. I heard a commotion in here and was curious," He says, obviously in French.

Zack stares in confusion for some reason.

"Oh, and you are sitting up!" Harvey says gleefully to Issa.

"The last time I saw you, you were dreadfully pale and could hardly stay awake," He says.

"I know. It was pretty annoying, drifting in and out in consciousness," Issa responds in French.

Harvey jumps violently and stares.

"Uh—wh—wha—how long have you—when did—wh-what...?" he stutters.

He shakes his head, letting his hair fly around.

"You're speaking in French," he points out at last.

I repress my laughter while Issa lets out a giggle.

"I know. I have no idea what's going on," She explains—sort of.

Harvey gives a small smile, and then, with no warning, he lets out a deep, "Onhonhonhon~!"

It's comical to see Harvey to slap a hand over his mouth in surprise.  
>All the heads in the room are turned towards him, and he blushes.<p>

"Th-that was...not me..." He says, "I-I mean, that was me, but not intentional. I—I don't—don't know why—..." France looks on the verge of tears.

"I'm so proud of you~!" He squeals, wrapping the poor boy in a hug.

"Bad France!" Issa and I shriek as one being, both throwing the nearest projectile we could find at him.

She threw her pillow—I threw my corn cob.  
>Out of the corner of my eye, I see Issa gaping confusedly at me.<br>I brush it off and am amused by her expression.  
>Ehehe, lettuce sounds funny when you say it when you're sick… :3<p>

Anyway, France lets go of Harvey while fixing his hair from where Issa's pillow hit and brushing little flecks of corn out of his stubby little beard.  
>He scowls.<p>

"Was that _really—_"

"Yes," Lauren and I monotone at the same time.

France glares at us once more and leaves.  
>…Oh, crap, I made him mad again…<br>Soon they're all going to hate me forever…  
>The forgotten guilt comes back.<p>

"You okay?" Issa asks—I look up, but she was addressing Zack.

I notice that she didn't switch from French, and am about to point it out when Zack answers, "I guess so," in a constricted voice.

He replied in French.  
>Zack looks up at Issa.<p>

"This isn't real, right? You and I, we're still speaking Japanese, aren't we?"

It makes me curious to see him this worried—as America's look-alike, it's almost unnerving to see the face I've memorized without a smile.

I guess he hasn't quite grasped the fact that anything can happen here...

"I'm sorry," Issa says, genuinely apologetic, "We're talking in French..." She reaches over to Zack's cot, but only their fingers are able to touch.

Harvey lets out another French laugh, blushes deeper, mutters "Sorry!" and leaves…

My attention goes back to the patients. (**XD)**

"It's because America can speak French," Issa tries to explain, "America doesn't have an official language, so he can speak all the languages."

Zack shifts slightly, so now they are about a centimeter closer together.

"So...I can speak every language," he repeats.

Issa nods.

He thinks for a minute, and says something in Arabic, probably the most outrageous language he could think of.

The he brightens up and switches back to Japanese.

"That'd be cool if I knew what's happening," he says.

"Yeah," Issa agrees.

The door opens.

I think it's England again, but it's Josh.

Issa yanks her hand away from Zack's.  
>This doesn't go by unnoticed.<br>I can see Josh struggling to remain emotionless as he asks me, "I'm talking in a British accent. Should I be scared?" He does, in fact, have an accent identical to mine as I reply, sighing.

"No...there's something odd going on. But only to you look-alikes. It's just...odd..." The strangely emotionless expression that Josh is wearing doesn't slip past me, and I look in Issa's direction.

**(Right now, my cat is sprawled across my feet. She is very warm… :3 Curse you fluffy distractions! … Not really. o3o HAI READERS AND MEM-CHAN! Thanks for the cookie! :3)**

Josh leaves without a backward glance.

I see Issa is in pain—but not physically.

Her eyes cloud over with sadness.  
>Not much else happens until Issa stands and moves to follow Josh.<br>Worried, I grab her shoulder, but before I can protest, Issa looks back at me, letting the expression in her eyes explain.  
>The message she's trying to send floats in her eyes like the letters on a message:<p>

_I need to talk to him. _

I hesitate, but nod, and let her go trail after Josh.  
>I go back into the infirmary.<p>

"Where'd Issa go?" Zack questions.

"She has some business to attend to," I state.

I am about to sit back down when the door bursts open to reveal Dimah, out of breath and panting heavily.  
>He's wearing the scarf that went with Russia's outfit…<p>

"Dimah? What's wrong?" I ask in Russian, worried that something happened to someone.

"Listen to my voice!" He squeaks, pointing at his neck, "It's not mine! It's too high!"

I pause, "Dimah…You're speaking Japanese."

"I—I am? … This is so strange! My neck became very cold so I found this scarf, and then I began singing a song I like—and my voice was all like this!" For a moment, his voice becomes deep, crackling slightly in a creepy manner; he continues on, in Russian again.

"So I ran in here to see if someone could explain what was going on! I though I already _went _through puberty!" He shrieks, and I jump over and hug him tightly.

"It's happening to all the look-alikes," Zack supplies.

"Ja, what he said," I mumble, inhaling Dimah's smell…

…Wait a second.

"…Dimah…are you…have you been…drinking _vodka?_" I let go of him, suspiciously sniffing the end of his scarf as I hold it in my hand.

"W-what? No!" I stare into his violet eyes, which are filled with worry and confusion.

…

Well, Russia drinks a lot of vodka, so it's probably become a natural scent for him…  
>And Dimah is Russia's look-alike…<p>

I sigh and return to my huggling.

"Hey, Zack?" He looks at Dimah, whom called his name.

"…It's weird, isn't it? …All of this," Zack says, adding the last bit because of Dimah's curious face.

"Da, it's very weird…" And with that, I wave goodbye to Zack and Dimah and I go along our business.

Suddenly, I hear the end of another conversation.

"…Because then they could kill you from the inside."

I pay no attention to the obviously strange but still private conversation between Josh and Issa, and go about Dimah's and my Russian chatting.  
>I notice the look Issa gives me when she hears Dimah's new voice.<br>I shrug, just enough for her to get the message—I honestly have no clue.  
>We walk on, and end up outside, walking on the manor grounds.<p>

We find a small, lone blue flower poking out of the snow.  
>Dimah, instead of picking it and giving it to me like most guys would, instead kneels down and clears the snow around the<br>fragile plant, making room for it to grow.  
>I smile—I can't believe how adorable he is!<p>

Another flower in a tree nearby is slightly wilted.  
>Dimah picks this one, and places it behind my ear, tucking my hair back as well.<p>

… =w= …

As fast as I can, I unwrap his scarf, and he immediately shivers—I wrap both of us in it, and we both lean in for a kiss.  
>Sadly, my nose decided at that moment to unleash a wave of sneeze.<br>I turned my head just in time, and ended up falling into the snow as I have a sneezing fit.  
>When I stop, I sit up and Dimah is laughing.<br>I pack snow together and throw it at him, before we go back inside, both of us laughing.  
>There stands Prussia, looking worried.<p>

"You both need to come with me. Something's going on with the look-alikes…"

He drags Dimah off, and I trail behind with a feeling of dread.  
>His tone…didn't sound good.<p>

When I arrive, I open the door…to see Issa, slowly blinking her eyes open.

"W-what happened?" She asked.

What's going on is shocking—the look-alikes are all tied up!  
>I rush to Issa and am going to untie her when Arthur pulls me back.<p>

"You were trying to kill Zack," England tells Issa solemnly.

"Wh—I did what?" She asks, genuinely confused.

You aren't alone there, sister.

"You were screaming something about York. Something about hating Zack, and for him to watch his back. I'm sorry, but the restraints are necessary. I don't know if it'll happen again." England explains, nearly putting me into shock.

Issa furrows her brows.

"I really said Zack's name?"

England shakes his head.

"No, but you were screaming it in his ear while you choked him. You called him America."

"I thought I was America," Zack supplies.

Looking closely at the boy's neck, I do notice several finger-shaped bruise marks beginning to form…

"I thought I was you," Josh says to England.

"I thought I was Canada," Issa says quietly.

For a while, the room is quiet…

"The War of 1812," Issa finally declares, "When America burned York. England and I—...I mean, you and Canada burned Washington D.C. in return." She turns her head and stares at her shoulder as if in pain...

"I was there," Zack says.

"Me, too," Josh adds.

Issa glares at Zack.

"H-how could you?" Issa asks.

He looks at his wrist, where there is a shiny burn mark right over the rope holding him back.  
>If Zack has that, does that mean that Issa's shoulder is injured as well?<p>

"I guess I deserved this..."

Issa shakes her head.

"O-ow," She mumbles.

I glance toward Canada.  
>He is frowning and rubbing his left shoulder.<p>

"It's gone, isn't it?" I hear my voice ask.

He is startled for a second, but then he nods.  
>I am confused.<p>

"What's gone?" I ask.

"...My burn. York. It's...gone..." Canada pulls his shirt down to reveal a pale shoulder, with a very distinct lack of burn marks.

Gently, I pull back Issa's hospital gown and shirt to discover a bright red, shiny burn.

"Ow," I remark stupidly, poking it.

"Hey!" She yelps.

"Sorry," I apologize.

_**Nice going.**_

Issa looks at Canada.

"You're very scary when you're angry, you know," She informs him.

He laughs.  
>Suddenly, Issa looks over at Harvey, and just by the way she holds herself now, you can tell she's angry with something...<p>

"Y-you gave me up..." She mumbles, and I can just barely hear her.

"Y-you gave m-me to him..." She points to Josh.

Suddenly, they all black out and start yelling and screaming and having a fit.  
>I sit next to Dimah, trying to calm his flailing form, and worry for the entire time they're blacked out, trying to ignore the screaming…<br>Then Issa, Zack, Josh and Harvey wake up.

"How long wuz I out?" She slurs.

"…An hour," I mumble, looking at the clock and doing the quick calculation in my head.

Dimah sits menacingly.

"Kolkolkolkol…" He constantly mutters, glaring across the room at Jia Li, whom is attempting to do kung-fu.

"Which memory?" Canada asks Issa, snapping me out of my reverie.

"First day at England's," Issa responds...

Oh, she's—she's crying...

Suddenly, she looks at Harvey with red-rimmed eyes.

"You gave me up," She accuses, then shakes her head.

I continue to stare at her eyes…  
>Wh—holy tomatoes!<br>I jump back a bit.

"Your—your eyes..." Maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me…I lean closer.

"What...?" Issa asks cautiously.

"They were... they are...purple..."

* * *

><p><strong>BUM BUM BAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH :U<br>****So, I recently was sick, and that's why Lauren sneezed.**

**Questions~!**

**One: Have you ever seen a sunrise like the one Lauren saw?  
>Two: Have you ever gotten a Hetalia-curl? Like, a Canada curl, or an America … tuft thingy?<br>****Random Question~! : Have you listened to Einsamkeit? If yes, you win a cookie. If no, go now and listen! :U  
><strong>**Four: Have you ever burned yourself?  
>Five: Should Lauren catch a cold? o3o<strong>


	19. Kaitlyn, Trains, and Chloroform

**I OWN NOTHING! :U  
><strong>**So, guess what I found out?  
><strong>**I'm also GERMAN.  
><strong>**What the FRICK?  
><strong>**I mean, SERIOUSLY, how can I be FRENCH _and_ GERMAN at the same time?  
><strong>**If I find out that I'm Italian, I'm going to snap and be Russian, too.**

**FWAH!**

* * *

><p>After the events of today, I felt extremely tired.<br>Nothing caused this—I just can't explain it…

"Guys… I think I'mma go take a nap…" I mumble to the semi-conscious people around me.

Their fits weren't as bad, but they still had them.  
>Arthur sat in a chair, watching over them.<br>Alina and Vera were brought in, too, but their spasms aren't that bad…  
>Well, at least they <em>weren't<em> until Alina tried to make out with Dimah.  
>That was when we tied her down.<p>

"Okay…" Issa mumbles, and I give Dimah a peck on the cheek, and ruffle Issa's hair.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?" She asks tiredly, but slightly irritated.

"What?"

"Rub my head!"

"…I don't know. It's become a force of habit in the past few days…"

"Oh."

And I'm heading out the door, and pass Prussia, whom is sitting all alone.  
>Suddenly, my whole body heats up, and I begin to sweat slightly—I remove my scarf, since that was a disposable piece of clothing, and go sit next to the albino.<p>

"Hello," I say, and he jumps, causing Gilbird to chirp indignantly.

"Oh, hey, Lauren." He sounds…kind of depressed.

"What's wrong?" I ask, and he's silent for a minute, before going into a rant…

"Everything's wrong. Mein baby _bruder _is a psychopath again, innocent teenagers are being held up in stuffy old Austria's place, gramps is a little kid…but enough about the awesome me, what's up with you?" He finishes with an air of talking about the weather.

"Eh…I think I'm catching a cold…oh, yeah, and my best friend and boyfriend and their friends and some relatives are turning into nations while I'm stuck bland old Lauren…"

Prussia chokes on air, and I get a shiver down my spine…  
>So I <em>am<em> sick…?

"Bland?" He demands, "Now listen, if you're gonna be awesome, you can't call yourself bland, boring, worthless or anything like that, got it?"

Apparently I'm being given a lesson on awesomeness from Mr. Footie-Pajamas…  
>Either way, it cheers me up, and I give him a hug.<p>

"Everything's gonna be okay, soon. I promise, 'the awesome me' will fix it," I smile, and we both share a laugh before I head along to the kitchen.

I begin to make myself some tea, and find some little candles.  
>I also get myself some medicine.<br>I find the matches, and grab a few cookies before dragging the mess up into (what will soon again be shared but for now is) mein room.  
>I sit on the bed, drag the laptop up to the pillow, and curl up with a blanket, my tea, cookies, and Russicat, who mysteriously appeared on the doorstep hours before.<br>…Don't look at me like that, I couldn't leave a fluffy, adorable, Russian cat in the cold while his owner is away, probably getting tortured…

…

I can't stand this anymore.  
>I open a tab for Youtube, and begin to watch Hetalia videos.<br>Then, Prussia bursts into the room in the middle of _I am German-Made_, which I am, thank you very much.

He raises a pale eyebrow at me, and I sneeze softly.  
>Then he notices Russicat, and jumps.<p>

"W-when—?"

"No idea." And he sits down next to me, watching the lyrics fly on the screen confusedly.

"Hey! That's West singing!" He finally determines, and I roll my eyes.

"Ja," I mumble, and the song ends.

My playlist changes it to a Prussia and Germany duet of _Einsamkeit_.  
>When the first lyrics are sung by Germany, a weight places itself on my chest.<br>No, it isn't Prussia.  
>It's just general pain and depression…<br>And Russicat.

I pet the cat for a moment before sneezing violently and somehow accidentally kicking Prussia in the side.

"Gah!" He grunts, and I sit up, placing Russicat on my head.

"I'm so sorry!" I shout, and he shakes his head, holding his side, before looking at me with a grin.

"The awesome me can handle it!"

I smile and nod, going back to the music.  
>By the time it's over, Prussia is gone, and I hit replay and sing along.<p>

"_Wakaranai…Einsamkeit! Einsamkeit! Einsamkeit! …Tsukete hoshii…~"_

I look up when I hear clapping.  
>In the doorway stands France.<br>I sniffle, and look at him curiously.  
>A sad smile is on his face.<p>

"What's up, buttercup?" I ask, and he is confused for a moment.

"...Dimah said to check on you." He almost sounds…scared.

"…Okay. Tell him I'm okay…but I do have a cold, so don't come near me, Frog." I make a little cross with my fingers.

And with that, he chuckles and shuts the door, leaving me to my music…

Eventually, I fall into sickness-induced coma, and when I wake up, it's about midnight or later.  
>…I'm still tired…and Russia's Hattafutte Parade is still playing.<p>

…_**I have a plan.**_

"No, I'm not letting you out again."

_**Please, just give me a chance! I think I've found this Germany's weakness.**_

"Then tell me and I'll tell the others, and they'll make a strategy. I'm nothing of a help here anymore, I've done my part."

…_**Well fine, then, I won't tell you if you're so worthless. In fact, why don't you do something useful and go rescue that Russia fellow? **_

I am about to retort, but pause.

…Should I?  
>…<em>Could<em> I?

I jump out of bed and throw on suitable day-clothes: a loose black turtleneck and a pair of military-green pants.  
>I begin packing a bag of things I'll need…<br>Extra clothes, the dagger I…borrowed…from Germany, and other necessary supplies.  
>I run downstairs and find a dark purple scarf and wrap it tightly around my neck, before going back upstairs to find a pen and paper.<p>

Feeling like I did when I wrote my suicide message, I begin to jot down in my messy handwriting…

_To whom it may concern,_

_So, I have recently had an epiphany regarding the fact that I am worthless now.  
><em>_Even though I saved Issa once, and Arthur once, that's all I seem able to do.  
><em>_I'm going to prove my worth and attempt to rescue Russia._

_It's foolish, but I feel like I need to do it.  
><em>_If I end up dead, I'm just a casualty.  
><em>_Be careful.  
><em>_Dimah, I love you. :3_

_Cheerio,  
><em>_Lauren_

I pause for a moment.  
>Then I run over to the dresser, and dig around on the top to find the Union Jack micro-camera charm bracelet and snap it on before returning to my message.<p>

_P.S.  
><em>_I took the Union Jack bracelet so if you want it, there's a bit of visual surveillance._

And I head down the hall.  
>Looking into the room full of sleeping bound people, I feel a sting behind my eyes.<br>I tiptoe in, and very quickly and gently kiss Dimah, before standing and gently ruffling Issa's hair, before leaving the room.  
>I go downstairs into the kitchen and grab three apples to suffice as my midnight-breakfast.<p>

…Two galas and a granny smith if you're wondering. :3

As I begin quietly eating one of the red galas, I sneak to the front door and grab a thin jacket and my parka, and then reach for the door handle.  
>I hesitate…<br>What if I die?

_**Like you said: you're just a casualty.**_

I sigh, steel my courage and open the door, letting in the cold January midnight air.  
>I take the dagger out of my bag and shove it down my shirt again as I walk.<br>No matter where you are in the world, the criminals always come out at night…

I cautiously walk the streets, and find a twenty-four hour train station where I order a ticket to Berlin.  
>My train leaves in twenty minutes…<br>I take the time to sit and practice my German for a minute.

"Eins, zwei, drei, vier, funf…" **(I'm pretty sure that's one to five in German, but the spelling may be off…)**

When the train pulls into the station, only two other people board it.  
>One is a girl a little younger than me…<br>But she's alone.  
>She looks sad and scared…<p>

"Excuse me," I say in German, and she looks at me worriedly.

"…What?" She asks, in English—she's American...

"Why are you out so late, on a train, no less?" I respond.

She giggles at my British accent.

"I…I got on the wrong train…I'm supposed to be in Berlin on vacation with my parents…what about you? You don't look any more than two years older than me…" She mumbles, and I sigh.

"Well…if you must know…I'm a secret agent!" I whisper, and she looks shocked.

"Really?"

I nod, "Yeah, yeah, I work for Scotland Yard. But you can't tell anyone! Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

She nods eagerly, and I shift my eyes before sticking up my pinky finger to her.  
>She takes it with hers, and now we share the unbreakable bond of a pinky promise.<p>

"So, what's your name?" She asks, but gasps, "Oh, I mean, what's your secret agent name?"

I laugh.

"I'll tell you if you tell me…" I sneeze into my arm.

"Okay! My name is Kaitlyn!"

"Nice to meet you, Kaitlyn. My name is Lauren," I shake her hand.

She has short blonde hair, and green eyes.  
>She's short and tan and thin and is wearing a t-shirt and jeans.<br>She shivers.

"…It's cold, huh?" She asks, letting out a small chuckle.

I take off my parka and hand it to her.  
>I notice that the man whom also boarded the train was staring directly at us.<p>

"Come on, Kaitlyn. That man is suspicious. Let's go," I mumble, and we head to the compartments.

She takes me to a cabin, and we stay and talk for a while until she gets drowsy, so I pull some blankets from the compartment, and let her use my parka as a pillow.

"Lauren…are you on a mission?" She asks sleepily.

I nod, "Yeah…"

"Is it important?" She yawns, and I pause, and shrug.

"Sort of, but there's no timeline other than the one I set for myself."

She nods, "Oh…"

A few moments of silence pass.

"Lauren?"

"Yeah?"

"…Would it be too much to ask for you to make sure I get to my parents safely?"

"No, not at all…but why me?" I ask.

"You're the only person who speaks English…"

I giggle, but soon, she's asleep.

_**Quit being so nice. It's making me nauseous. **_

I roll my eyes and stand and lock the door.

**(HOLY FRANCE MY S KEY BROKE OFF! DX)**

Then, I fall into another fitful sleep.

* * *

><p>When I wake up, sunlight is streaming in through the windows.<br>I look over at Kaitlyn, but she's still asleep.  
>I look out the window and in the distance I see a train station.<br>Blearily, I stand up, and poke Kaitlyn.  
>Her eyes snap open, and I jump.<p>

"Wow, you're a light sleeper…" I mumble.

She nods, "Yep."

I sigh and she looks at me funny.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"Nothing…it's just morning…we're going to arrive in Berlin in a few minutes."

She nods and sits up, rubbing her eyes like children do.  
>She yawns, and I smile.<p>

"Morning!" I chirp, and she stares blankly at me before replying.

"You were sad a second ago…"

I nod, "Your point?"

She pauses and shrugs.

The train comes to an abrupt stop, and I jump.

"Whoa! The train tried to give me a heart attack!" I shout, and Kaitlyn laughs.

I hear her stomach growl.

"When was the last time you ate?" I ask, and she pauses to think.

"…About lunchtime yesterday…" She assumes.

"Do you like apples?" She nods.

"Gala or granny smith?" I ask.

"Gala."

I take the red fruit out of my bag and hand it to her.

"Thanks!" She says, and begins happily munching the pale flesh.

We stand.

"So, d'you have any idea where your parents are?" I question.

She nods, "Yeah, mom and dad are waiting at the station to pick me up…"

That makes things easy…

"Well, that simplifies things by a large amount," I mutter, and she nods, and we exit the train.

Two people who look similar to Kaitlyn stand huddled together, looking around worriedly.

"Mom! Dad!" Kaitlyn shrieks, running toward the couple and laughing.

"Kaitlyn!" They call, opening their arms to hug her tightly.

I smile and walk over to them.

"I take it you're Kaitlyn's parents?" They nod.

"Mama, this is Lauren! She watched over me during the train ride!" Kaitlyn says giddily, then looks back at me, silently asking me a question.

I nod, and she leans in to tell them in a hushed tone: "She's a secret agent."

The couple smile, and I tip my imaginary hat.

_**Hey, go ask them if anything weird is happening in America.**_

For once, Teacup is useful, and I step over to them.

"Hello. I hope you don't mind my asking, but has anything…strange…been happening in America?"

The couple look at each other before looking back at me and nodding.

"Yeah. A lot of earthquakes and other issues like that…" Kaitlyn's father responds.

I nod, "Thank you for your time."

"Thank you for keeping our daughter safe," Kaitlyn's mother says, and I smile, curtsying.

"All in a day's work. Be careful, now, alright?" I direct the last bit to Kaitlyn, and she nods eagerly.

"I will be! I promise!" And I give her a hug before waving goodbye as I try to walk to Germany's house.

Suddenly, "Lauren, LOOK OUT!"

And I am held by the mysterious train man, a damp cloth to my mouth.  
>I do my best not to breathe in, but eventually my lungs scream for air and I have no other choice but to breathe in the<br>chloroform.  
>Immediately, I get woozy, and shut my eyes, a scream ringing through my ears…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>The end!<br>****The next chapter might come pretty quick since I already have around a page hanging out and doing nothing. O3o  
><strong>**I…am obsessed…with this story. **

**1! Have you ever cried over the death/departure of a fictional character?  
><strong>**2! What's gonna happen to Lauren?  
><strong>**Random Question: Do you have any annoying siblings?  
><strong>**3! What's the most random word you've ever laughed at? (Ex: Lettuce, shrub, tent, etc.)  
><strong>**4! Honestly, have you thought of theme songs for the characters?**

**Honestly, I think Issa's would be 'One More' by Superchick. :3**


	20. Torture, Teacup, and more Trains

***Still owns nothing*  
><strong>**So, ja.**

_**When my time comes  
><strong>__**Forget the wrong that I've done  
><strong>__**Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed  
><strong>__**And don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty  
><strong>__**Keep me in your memory, and leave out all the rest  
><strong>__**Leave out all the rest~…**_

* * *

><p>When I wake up, I am literally chained by my ankle to a stone concrete wall.<br>I try to move, but just lifting my head hurts…  
>Everything feels heavy…<br>And suddenly, a light blinds me as someone enters the room.

"Guten tag, fraulein Lauren." States the man. **(Good day, Miss Lauren.)**

My eyes widen, and adrenaline starts pumping through my body.  
>Eventually, I am able to sit up.<p>

"Who are you?" I say in German.

The light shines on the man's face…  
>It's Germany.<br>I should've known by the voice…

_**Well, obviously.**_

An ominous feeling embeds itself in my stomach, and I sigh, slowly regaining movement.

"…So, why am I here?" I ask curiously, tilting my head slightly.

"You are here because you are Issa's ally."

"I'm not her ally, I'm her best friend!" I retort, sticking out my tongue at the blond man.

"…Even better," He grins sadistically, and before anything else can happen, I am being chained to the wall by my wrists.

About a foot off the ground, mind you.

Germany forces my chin up where I can look at him, and he demands, "What are you planning!"

I glare at him.

"I don't know. They didn't fill me in on any plan."

_Slap._

The stinging feeling of being slapped places itself on my face.

"I sincerely don't know what they're planning! I don't even think they _have_ a plan!"

_Slap._

I smirk at him, "That the best you've got, _Ludwig_?" I spit his name like poison.

He glares at me, but smirks and pulls a short knife from his belt.  
>In one long, agonizing motion, he makes a shallow but painful cut around my turtleneck collar, slicing it off to reveal the handle of the dagger.<p>

"So it _was_ you…" He mumbles, and twists the blade as he confiscated it from me, cutting my chest.

The sharp pain throbs with my heart as blood begins to soak through my shirt.  
>…Maybe I shouldn't be snarky.<p>

_**You think?**_

I sigh and look at Germany, putting on a sad face as he raises the dagger again.

"What made you like this?" I ask, and he stops, mid-swing.

But then he finishes the aforementioned swing, leaving a deep gash on my arm.  
>I refuse to scream…<br>I refuse to cry.

"What made…you like this…?" I pant, getting dizzy all over again.

"That isn't any of your business…" He growls, making another shallow cut, on my stomach this time—one long thin streak, slowly ripping up my clothing.

He begins to pull on my scarf, "What—are—you—planning?"

With each word, he tightened the scarf around my neck and breathing becomes extremely difficult.

"If—if you k-kill me, who's going to t-tell you?" I choke, and he sighs and carelessly cuts the scarf off, leaving a small cut on my neck as well.

He jumps back when he sees the cut I'd made myself, but nonetheless, my body is full of pain.  
>He sticks needles into my legs and into my hips.<br>He sticks thorns into my sides and into my arms.  
>The blood rushes from the wounds, and when one stops hurting so much, he twists the weapons lodged inside them…<br>Finally, he gets what he's looking for when he stabs me deep into my shoulder.  
>One long, loud, strangled scream emits from my throat…<p>

He smiles.

"Now, tell me what you're planning." He steps over to a table and picks up several different vials of sickly purple…stuff…and examines them in the dim light.

"I don't know…" I mumble weakly, and with a sigh, Germany picks up a syringe.

He pokes it through the lid of the purple liquid, and I watch as it sluggishly elevates into the vial attached to the needle.  
>Germany takes out all the other weapons from my body and looks me in the eye, unchaining me, and letting me fall to the ground.<br>He picks up a whip and some rope, beginning to tie me to a post, where my back is a clear target.  
>He cuts off the back of my shirt just enough for there to be plenty of skin visible—but not too much.<br>With a crack the whip hits my back…  
>Then I realize there's a sharp rock on the end.<p>

Another scream emits from my throat.

"What are you planning?" Germany asks calmly again.

"I—don't—know!" I sob, and he whips me again.

After several more strikes, he unties me again and picks up the syringe.  
>I gasp for air.<p>

Through the pain, Teacup breaks through once again.  
>He makes me stand…<br>I don't want to stand…  
>He makes me hold myself arrogantly as I step to Germany—well, as close as I can get with the leg chain…<p>

"_**So, we meet again…~"**_ He hisses, but it comes out in my voice…

Germany's eyes twinkle with something eerily familiar…  
>It's the same twinkle I get when Teacup takes me over…<p>

"What?" I shout in my own voice, more at Teacup than Germany.

Before I can think much more about it, said German digs the syringe into the side of my neck and leaves the room, but leaves the door wide open in mockery.  
>Teacup makes me scream again as tears finally burst forth like a dam breaking.<br>Pain has filled my every molecule.  
>Blood continues to pour everywhere and I have a convulsion in a pool of my own crimson life.<br>Eventually, I decide that the pain is too much to bear…  
>I scream as another wave of pain takes over me.<p>

_**Well, this certainly is fun. And loud. Would you kindly shut up?  
><strong>_

"NO, YOU STUPID CAT!" I shriek.

_**Hm. Well…I could be of assistance...**_

"H-how...?" I ask.

Germany walks in again, and doesn't seem surprised to see me talking to myself again.

_**Free me.**_

"No, you bloody—nngh...!" My sentence is cut short with another spatter of pain.

_**Do you like this?**_

"NO!"

_**Then do as I say! I can free you from the pain, only if you trust me!  
><strong>_

There is nothing but the sound of my labored breathing.

_**Well...?**_

"You've never given me any reason to trust yo—AGH!"

_**It's not like you have any choice!**_

He's right...

I carefully pass my body to Teacup, making sure he doesn't take full control.  
>But another wave of pure agony hits me, and the scream that I let loose is mine and Teacup's.<br>Soon the pain is gone…

"So, do you feel like talking yet?" Germany asks, smirking.

"Shut up, potato ***beep***. I have nothing to say to you," I growl.

"…Maybe torture wasn't the way to get you to talk…" He thinks out loud.

"You think, stupid Nazi?" I spit, venom lacing my every word.

Germany raises a blond eyebrow at me, but goes to unchain my foot.  
>He's gonna regret that so badly…<br>As soon as the click sounds, the cuffs snap off and I lunge at the man with supernatural ability…  
>He jumps back—just what I needed.<br>I run out the door, grabbing a dagger from the table nearby as I do so.

"GET BACK HERE!" I hear Germany roar, and loud footsteps follow my own.

As I run, I get to a stairwell…  
>Stairs take too long to go down, so I jump the height of the stairs.<br>It hurts the balls of my feet on impact, but the pain now is nothing compared to less than two minutes ago…  
>I keep running.<br>I finally reach the front door, and run outside, slamming the door behind me.  
>Germany follows.<p>

_He's gaining speed…_I tell Teacup.

"I know that!" He shrieks back at me.

Almost as soon as he says this, Germany grabs my shoulder, violently turning me to face him.  
>He slaps me, and I spit blood in his face.<br>He lets go with a roar and I bolt off.  
>Seeing as he stops following me, I slow down and find the nearest train station.<br>Buying a ticket, I board the train, and as soon as I get into a cabin, I faint.

* * *

><p>I wake up to find the conductor, worriedly staring at me.<p>

"Miss? Miss?" He asks in German, and I bolt upright.

"Whuzzat?" I slur in…almost English.

"Ma'am, you need to get to a hospital!" He says.

"No, thanks, I'm fine…" I mumble in German, and he stares at me blankly.

Pain floods back into my body, and I groan, worrying the conductor even more.  
>I sigh and stand up, wobble, fall back down and repeat.<br>Finally I stand and stay standing, and amble off the train almost drunkenly.  
>I wander my way back to Austria's manor, where I knock four times on the door—loudly, with the big brass knocker—before I faint again.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Two chapters in one day—or three or four hours!<br>****I'm so bored…!  
><strong>**Moar questions!  
><strong>**Dang, you people are getting quizzed…**

**One! Did you expect this to happen?  
><strong>**Two! Will Teacup stay in control?  
><strong>**Random Question: What's your favorite soda/pop/soft drink/etc.?  
><strong>**Three! Is Lauren insane?  
><strong>**Four! Who will answer the door? o3o**


	21. Horror in the Eyes of a Russian

**ITALY, D****ON'T POKE ZE FIRE! XU**

**I don't own anything except mein unusual imagination. :3**

**Grr, Mem-chan.  
>Your Phantom of the Opera virus is contagious. :P<strong>

* * *

><p>Dimah's POV<p>

* * *

><p>I stare curiously as my love leans close to her best friend, "Your—your eyes…"<p>

"What...?" Issa asks, sounding unsure of whether she wanted to know or not.

"They were...they are...purple..."

Issa slaps herself...

"Ow!" She shouts, moving her hand again, "Seriously?" She mumbles.

"France, let me see your mirror." France blushes and withdraws a small mirror from his pocket, "How did you know I carry one?"

"You're you. You like to look at yourself," Issa smirks as she takes it.

Upon closer inspection, she was right—her eyes are like mine... "...Whoa..." She squeezes her eyes shut, after poking them again, "That...is...freaky..."

She looks at Canada as she passes the music back to France. "...I think everyone should be afraid of you," She states, "You're kinda scary."

Canada decides to take this as a compliment, and he laughs. "Thanks, I guess."

America opens the door, carrying a struggling Alina and leading an extremely confused-looking Vera.

"Hey, she—she's..." He doesn't need to explain.

As soon my _syestra_ sees me, she punches America in the face and runs over to me.

"Brother brother brother brother~~ Let's become one~~" She says, in a voice that's not hers.

Alina stops short when she sees Lauren holding my hand.  
>Murder is written on <em>syestra<em>'s face.

"Get. Away. From. My. Brother," she snarls in perfect Japanese.

Then she pounces at Lauren.  
>But America catches her around the middle and drops her on an empty cot.<br>Alina screams in Russian and Belarusian while America ties her down.  
>Then, a pale-faced England bravely starts trying to calm her.<br>Slowly, she stops thrashing and sits there with a puzzled look on her face.

"...I didn't do it," she says. "Something—something—took over me..." All the look-alikes in the room nod sympathetically.

Vera shakily backs into a corner.  
>She puts her hands over her ears and mumbles to herself in Japanese.<p>

"I'm hearing things...I can't actually understand them...I'm still speaking Russian...Not happening...this is...not...happening..." She slows to a stop when she sees most of the room looking at her (I was busy guarding my Lauren).

"...Hi..." she says breathlessly.

"Hello, my dear," England says softly, smiling politely.

"It's not real, right?" Vera asks me.

I stop alternating between Kol-ing at random people in the room and talking to Lauren, and look at my big sister sadly. "It is odd, isn't it?"

Vera nearly faints at the sound of my new voice.  
>Then, a dreamy look goes over her face.<br>Then she bursts into tears.

"My boss said I can't see you anymore, Russia-chan~!" she cries out.

She tries to bound out of the door, but Prussia leans against it.  
>Vera freezes, then goes limp.<br>Alina and I both black out in sync with her as our linked flashback starts.

* * *

><p><em>Germany was invading.<br>__He tried to take over Poland…  
><em>_I claimed Poland as mine…  
><em>_This irritated me…_

_When I got wind that he had threatened my sisters, I had no choice but to take action.  
><em>_I ran and when I arrived at the battlefield, the sight in front of me both shocked me and excited me…_

_Blood.  
><em>_A lot of blood…and fire on the snow.  
><em>_Germany stood with his gun, about to fire at my sisters._

_I tackled him._

"_Verdammt!" He shouted, along with several other words._

_I glare at him._

"_If you hurt them…I will kill you."_

_A small fistfight ensued, but as we hold each other in a deadlock, Germany glares at me._

"_Why did you attack me in the first place?" He shouts._

"_I have to protect my sisters!" I shout._

"_That doesn't make it okay to attack someone!" _

_Neither does a desire for world domination.  
><em>_I get a cut on his face, and the blood makes me happy…_

"_I also have to protect Poland. Seizure to exist!" I respond._

_Finally, he retreats._

* * *

><p>I wake up.<br>Looking around, I see Josh and Jia Li seem to have the same memory.  
>Maybe it's that Opium War…<p>

"Oh, good…you're awake…" Lauren rasps.

Something about her seems sad today…  
>Her hair isn't as shiny as it usually is, and her eyes bear marks of sleeplessness and stress.<br>Harvey, Zack, Vera, and Alina are asleep, judging by the lack of thrashing and screaming.  
>Eventually, people begin to exit…<br>Prussia is gone, America looks too tired to irritate England, Canada is asleep, and England is wide awake, fiddling with his magic and checking to make sure nobody is going to try to kill each other.  
>I look at Lauren, who is perched on a chair next to me, and I yawn, and she pokes my cheek...<p>

"What happened? You were saying something about seizures during your kol-ing," She mumbles.

"It was World War Two…Germany was going to take Poland away from Mother Russia…"

Lauren nods, and yawns, and Issa wakes up.

"Guys…" Lauren mumbles, and grabs Issa's attention, "I think I'mma go take a nap…"

"Okay…" Issa mumbles.

Lauren stands, kisses me on the cheek (the butterflies flare up then), and as she walks past Issa, she ruffles her hair.

"Hey!" Issa whines tiredly, "Why'd you do that?"

"What?" Lauren asks, confused.

The look on her face was funny…

"Rub my head!" Issa shakes her head a bit, making her hair move out of her face.

"...I don't know. It's been a force of habit in the past few days..." she says.

Issa yawns.

"Oh."

Lauren walks out the door.

"What are you doing?" Issa asks, and I look up—the question wasn't directed at me, but England.

He jumps, spilling some sort of powder on the floor.

"Oh," He says while sweeping it up with his hand, "I'm, uh, making a potion that will hopefully reverse whatever's happening. It's not right, and I can tell something bad will come from it."

"Doesn't Norway know magic?" Issa asks—"And Romania?"

England glowers at the worn-out book in his hand.

"So they say. I'm not going to them unless it's an absolute last resort," He says.

"Whatever you say," She says, lying back down.

I begin to doze off, and my eyes are shut, and I'm almost asleep, when the door bursts open, probably leaving a dent in the white wall.  
>Startled, I jerk my head up.<p>

"Where is he!" A woman who looks like Alina shrieks.

A woman who looks like Vera has her arms around Alina-number-two's waist, desperately trying to pull her out of the room.

"Bela, people are sleeping!" She sobs.

England stands up.  
>I notice him shaking…<br>Something about this woman makes me want to scream and cry and cower under my mattress.  
>I don't like her…<br>She's scary…

"Belarus, Russia isn't here," he says in a voice that sounds braver than he looks.

I'm terrified.  
>I notice Issa looking at me, and I look back at her in desperation.<br>_Pretend you're asleep_, she mouths.  
>I nod and go limp…<br>Things are quiet for a second.

"You tied him up!" Belarus screeches, and I hear the sound of a blade slicing air.

I twitch in my 'sleep'.

"That's not Russia," England says.

"What do you mean that's not Russia!" Belarus shrilly demands.

"If you calm down and lower your weapon I'll explain," England says.

I feel the tension in the air, and I hear the blade on air again, and then two series of four dull thuds.  
>England explains about us look-alikes.<p>

Ukraine asks the occasional question. "Why did Germany take them in the first place?" She asks.

A pause.

"He knew," Issa says, "He knew we were going to turn into the countries. I guess he wanted your land for his new empire. It's like the Soviet Union, I guess. Or having colonies," She explains.

I flinch at 'Soviet Union', and fight back another flashback…

I hear my little sister mumble, "Hello..."

"You're my look-alike," Belarus says.

"I guess so," Alina replies.

I feel Belarus' eyes bore holes into my back…  
>I keep feigning sleep…<br>My life might be on the line…  
>I just wish she'd go home!<br>Suddenly, I have another flashback.

* * *

><p><em>Long story short, I think I was sitting on Canada…<em>

_"U-uh, Mr. R-Russia, you're h-hurting m-me...!" Canada squeaks quietly. _

_"Did you hear something?" I question to China. _

_"Pay attention, aru," China simply answers. _

_Germany was lecturing everyone about global warming again.  
><em>_And...  
><em>_Cue America._

_"Ha! Why don't we just genetically engineer a super hero to protect the earth! We'll call him Super Hero Global Man!" America said, jumping up on the meeting table and striking a heroic pose. _

_"R-Russia," Canada said. "You're sitting on me..." _

_I finally notice him. _

_"Oh, hello, Matvey~!" I chirp, "How long have you been there?" _

_"Th wh-whole time," He stuttered, "S-so, would you p-please get off of me?" _

_"Ah...nyet. You are very comfortable, da?" I answer jovially. _

_"B-but you're squishing me a little!" Canada weakly protests._

_"A little?" I repeat. _

_"If I am squishing you a little, then you are not yet flat."_

_"A lot!" He gasps, "You're squishing me a lot!" _

_"Hm...Okay then," I sigh, and stand. _

_Canada immediately scampers away.  
><em>_I looked around.  
><em>_All the other chairs were full…  
><em>_Canada sighed and sat on the floor against the wall.  
><em>_Perhaps he should've just let me sit on him, da? _When I wake up, Belarus and Ukraine are gone, and England is passed out on the floor, using his spell book as a pillow.

* * *

><p>No one seems to be awake but me, so I doze off, finally getting a little peaceful sleep.<br>When I wake up again, I hear panicked voices.  
>I'd say it's about three in the morning...<p>

"What... Do you mean… She's gone?" England asks in a low and ferocious tone.

Prussia says, "I mean she left! She left a note, too! Here, look!"

Across the dimly lit room, Prussia thrusts a paper at England.  
>Here, I sit up, looking around and seeing that Harvey, Jia Li, Josh, and Issa are awake, too…<br>But that is not my concern at the moment.

England's face remains emotionless while he's reading it.  
>Then he slaps a hand to his forehead.<p>

"'Just a casualty'...! What were you _thinking!_" he says in shock.

Is he repeating what he read?

"What's going on?" Issa asks.

Prussia and England hesitate.

"...Nothing," Prussia answers.

Issa tries to imitate Lauren's scary glare...  
>They don't crack.<br>They both, however, shift uncomfortably.

"Who's just a casualty?" Issa questions.

"...Lauren..." England finally answers.

That same enraged, terrified feeling I had in the flashback returns ten fold.  
>My Lauren…a casualty?<p>

"...What?" Asks Issa.

"Casualty means dead, right?" She asks, trying without success to ebb the flow of horror dripping into her voice.

England, in answer, reads the note.

"'To whom it may concern. So, I have recently had an epiphany regarding the fact that I am worthless now...'" A small noise of protest escapes me, but England reads on… "'Even though I saved Issa once and Arthur once, that's all I seem to be able to do. I'm going to prove my worth and attempt to save Russia. It's foolish, but I feel like I need to do it. If I end up dead, I'm just a casualty. Be careful.'" Here, England turns to me, snapping me out of my intent listening; I don't bother to try to hide my horror.

Instead of reading the note, he says, "She loves you..."

My heart rocks in my chest and my stomach does flip-flops.  
>Whether it was fear, grief, or the words did not matter—the words struck me in a manner meant to be emotional, but yet it felt like a physical force was squeezing and pulling at my heart…<br>England folds the note and stows it in his pocket.

"...And that's it..."

Prussia pipes up. "No, there was a P.S."

England looks at it again. "'I took the Union Jack bracelet so if you want it, there's a bit of visual surveillance.'"

Issa and I respond to this at the same time. "Let me go," we say in unison.

England looks sad.

"I—I can't. We can't lose you two. You must stay here." It looks like he regrets it with all his life…

If he won't let me see my Lauren, I hope he feels the pain.

"England, let me go," Issa says, fighting to keep her voice level.

I could snap the ropes, but I'm not sure if Issa could…

"England, I need—I need to go after her. She—she has the bracelet, he's sure to recognize it. Please, untie me." Issa pleads.

England shakes his head again. "I can't. You can't go after her. Nor you," he adds at the sight of my struggling.

No longer caring what I look like or sound like, I feel the panic jump into my throat and upward.

"I need to get her back, I need to make sure she's safe," I say, panicked.

"I can't lose her. I can't!"

England takes a shaky breath.

"N-nor I..." he admits. "B-but neither of you, any of you," he adds to the conscious look-alikes, "Can go get her. You all need to stay h-here..."

"B-but—...!" I weakly protest, still at war with the ropes.

Shock has made me weak...

"The camera," Issa says determinedly.

"England, she has the camera!"

She starts to struggle against the rope, but quickly gives up.

"P-please...!" Tears began to slip down her face…

"Wh-what if you have another memory take over?" England asks.

"Then it happens, you can just tie me to a chair in there, okay?" Issa says, twisting against the ropes again.

Finally, he agrees.  
>Issa rubs her wrists and takes off down the hall.<br>I easily outrun her in my horror…  
>Please let her be alright…<br>I can't lose her…

England runs behind us.

When we get to the computer room, Issa nervously rocks on the balls of her feet while England turns on the camera.  
>The quality is easily worse than before.<p>

When it finally focuses, I see red.  
>Lauren seems to collapse, and a scream emits from the speakers.<br>Issa stands there, trembling and in hysterics.  
>I bring myself close to the screen, feeling winded.<br>This can't be happening...  
>I feel my fingers clench and unclench reflexively.<p>

Out of what seems to us like nowhere, Lauren shrieks, "NO, YOU BLOODY CAT!"

She sobs for a second.

"H-how...?" she asks.

Quiet footsteps mingle with Lauren's gasps.

"No, you bloody—nngh!" Lauren's refusal is cut short, and the camera twitches into a blur.

"NO!" she shouts.

She doesn't say anything for a long time.

"You've never given me any reason to trust yo—AGH!" I stare blankly at the screen, my heart beating a thousand miles in my chest.

The camera shakes for a long time, and Lauren screams again.

B-but...it's only half her voice, if that makes any sense.  
>I can't really explain it.<br>It's like someone else screamed at the same time…

"So, do you feel like talking yet?" Germany asks.

I can _hear_ the smirk in his voice.  
>It makes me want to punch it off…<p>

"Shut up, potato ***beep***. I have nothing to say to you," Lauren and someone else say at the same time.

Is...is something...talking through her?

"Who is that?" I pant.

"Teacup," Issa shakily explains, "Her demon. She l-let him take over. She _let_ him."

So Teacup is bad…?  
>That's why she went insane after our date…?<p>

"...Maybe torture wasn't the way to get you to talk..." Germany muses, thinking aloud.

"You think, stupid Nazi?" Lauren and Teacup chorus.

Quiet...Then, Germany is yelling in pain.

"GET BACK HERE!" He shouts as the camera is insanely blurry.

They're running.

I repetitively whisper "Run, go...!" over and over under his breath.

I'm pretty sure they jump down an entire flight of stairs, and they're outside when only Teacup's voice shouts, "I know that!"

The camera is whirled around, and I see the green of Germany's outfit.  
>Then he roars, and Lauren and Teacup are off again.<br>I don't think Germany follows.  
>Lauren finds a train station and buys a ticket.<br>The look on the ticket-seller-person's face is priceless, but Lauren must be in really bad condition…

I blink as fast as I could and glare at the screen again.  
>Lauren gets on a train, finds an empty compartment, and lies on the floor.<br>Lauren's face comes into view; her hand is level with her face.  
>Then the camera doesn't move for a long time.<br>Lauren's face seems okay, although lightly scratched on a few places.  
>There's a shallow cut on her neck, right next to the deep one she made.<p>

She lost her scarf.

But her brass locket that she produced out of nowhere is okay.  
>For a minute, I was afraid she died, right there on the floor of a train, but I see her nostrils flare with every breath…<p>

"...Alright..." England says.

I notice him wiping tears from his own face.

"...Back to the infirmary..." Issa nods meekly and follows the man, but I can't make myself move...

"C-can I stay?" I ask quietly.

"Th-that's not such a good idea..." England says.

I look back at Lauren's peacefully sleeping face...  
>What made her do this…?<p>

I sigh and nod, but before I go, I run my finger on the monitor where Lauren's cheek would be.

When we get back to the infirmary I lean against the wall and watch Issa as she buries her face in her pillow, trying to hide her sobs from Josh, who is conscious.  
>Russicat bats at her hair, and she twitches head to try to get him to stop.<br>But he noses his way under her arm and in the crook of her neck.  
>Russicat licks her neck, mewling a bit in her ear. I see her lips move, but I don't hear what she says...<br>Russicat presses his kitty-nose behind Issa's ear.

I feel myself start to drift off into another memory...  
>Or maybe it's just sleep…?<br>It is at that moment that Canada walks in, looking for Kumajiro again.

"Hey, Mattie," Issa greets.

He looks at her.

"We're related."

He smiles, and continues his quest.

As Issa, Issa's mother, and Issa's sister (Renae, I think) talk with each other, I get dazed.

What's going to happen to Lauren?  
>Is she going to make it back…?<br>Will I ever see my _svet _again? **[Light]  
><strong>I am overtaken by a wave of anguish, and must fight my tears…  
>She was in so much pain…<p>

What if he—no.  
>Keep an optimistic view…<p>

…

I can't even fool myself…  
>There's no light to this other than she made it out alive…<br>Barely…

_Stupid Germans…_

W-wha—  
>I'm hearing Mother Russia…!<p>

…_Weird._

…_Dimah? _The voice asks apprehensively, _Is that you, or am I crazy?_

_Both…_

I hear a soft laughter.  
>It just seems like he's there, but not at the same time…<p>

_Dimah, what's going on?_

_I don't know, Mother Russia. Everything is upside-down…Issa tried to kill herself…suddenly everyone is in the infirmary…Lauren tried to rescue you. She got captured and immediately tortured…we think something's wrong in the head with her… _I fill Russia in on the details.

_That sounds serious…yes, Germany said that "Issa's friend paid a little visit"… Is she okay?_

_That's the thing: we don't know. She isn't back…she's bleeding heavily…hope is disappearing quickly. I need you, Mother Russia…_

Suddenly, a loud "Aiyah!" reaches my ears, and Canada curiously walks away in the direction the cry had sounded from.

Issa stands up and flies out the door, but Prussia stands in her way.

"Let me through," She says... her voice shakes.

"The Awesome Me was told not to do that. I'm sorry. England said something about you and the Russian dude panicking. Sorry," he says.

I glare at him—being referred to as 'the Russian dude' is kind of…  
>Insulting…I guess…<p>

"Prussia. Back. Off." Issa grunts.

"I'm sorry! England said he'd do some magic voodoo or whatever on me if I didn't!" Prussia says.

He looks genuinely apologetic, but he still blocked Issa's path.

"I'll be nice to you. One more chance before I get Dimah. And I'm sure said Russian will _not_ appreciate being away from his girlfriend any longer than necessary. Back. Off."

I smirk at the mention of my name…  
>Prussia doesn't answer.<br>Issa turns, preparing to summon me.  
>Then Prussia moves aside.<br>Completely losing her mind, Issa grins and hugs the white-haired man.

"Thank you!" Before he can do more than breathe once, she runs down the hall.

I stand in silence for a moment…

Why was it so important that she takes off running like that?  
>I begin to walk toward Prussia, and he quickly moves.<br>I wonder why…?

…What if it's Lauren that made China call out…?  
>I hesitantly step, cautious…<br>What will I see…?

When I reach the front door, everyone is huddled up in a circle.

Through a gap in their legs, I see a rubber sheet being painted red…  
>Wait.<br>That isn't paint…

Slowly, my slow footfalls turn into a jog, and when I reach the person lying on the ground, my heart feels as if it stopped.  
>Lauren is lying in a pool of her own blood, on her side…<br>She is barely covered by the black shirt and strips of dark pants that were tattered by Germany.  
>I notice the cuts and bruises on her arms and legs and sides…<br>I fall onto my knees.

Is…is she…?

Clear, wet, warm liquid drips onto her as I lean over her…

I…I'm crying…  
>I don't care.<br>I need to find out if she's…I can't even think it…

Gently, I place my hand near her mouth.  
>A soft, warm breath made my hand tingle…<br>My body isn't as tense, but I'm still on-edge.  
>Gently, I take her hand, and with my free one, I wipe a small stream of blood from the corner of her mouth…<br>I place my head near hers…

"_Moĭ svet, moĭ svet...Prosim vyzhitʹ…tolʹka dyshu…!_" I sob. **[My light, my light…please, stay alive…just breathe…]**

Lauren twitches in pain from the antiseptic that looked home-made, but remains unconscious.  
>Then, that Spain guy bounds in with his grumpy friend…<br>Spain gasps.

"What happened to _senorita _Lauren?"

"Go away," England snaps, and silently, I agree with him.

"But we want to help! Right, Lovi~?" Spain asks.

"…No. Too many helpers do more bad than good. C'mon," And a gentle but constant hiss-like noise tells me that Romano had to drag Spain away.

"Thanks, Romano, aru," China calls.

Romano's faint reply is "Shut up."

I continue to mutter things in Lauren's ear, hoping that somehow she can hear my pleas for her to live…for her to come back to me…  
>Suddenly—<p>

"Where should we put her?" Switzerland asks, and I tear my head away from Lauren's for a moment to see the look he shoots Issa and I when he says, "The infirmary is full."

I glare back at him, when an idea strikes me.

Slowly, gently, carefully, I pick Lauren up, bridal-style, making sure to support her head.  
>I stand and begin to walk back to the infirmary…<br>I feel like I'm going to bury her…

England calls out, "Hey, wait!"

…He means well, but he's beginning to make me angry…  
>I feel a sudden chill as I continue walking, unhesitant, steady, resolute.<br>No one seems to want to come near me…  
>Better that way, I don't want to hurt anyone…<br>No one but that German…

No one stops me, but several of them follow me back to the infirmary room.  
>In my little corner, I lay Lauren on my bed, tenderly and as gentle as my shaking arms would allow.<br>I proceed to lay next to her, stretching my arm across her both to keep her warm and to show people I mean business.  
>I'm going to keep her safe, and if England tries to make me move, I'll remain resolute.<br>She's mine, I'm going to make her live…

_Seizure to exist._

England approaches me, and I glare at him, that chilled feeling returning.

"She still needs stitches…" England tells me.

Reluctantly, I gently place _moi svet _in my lap and support her head.  
>I have to watch as that needle goes in and out of my love's skin…<br>In and out…in and out…  
>Needles are frightening…<p>

But I trust them this time, as long as they can keep Lauren safe…  
>England carefully sews up Lauren's shoulder and some of her deeper wounds.<br>When he finishes doing that, he and I work together to get Lauren into a hospital gown.  
>I sit up against the wall; Lauren is leaning against my chest, and I wrap my arms protectively around her waist.<br>She has to be okay…

Suddenly, she moves…  
>This is followed by a whimper.<p>

"It's okay, I've got you, I'm here…" I hurriedly whisper, trying to calm her down.

Her eyes open, and I flinch, shocked.  
>It's not that she's suddenly conscious, but rather…<br>One of her irises is crimson red…

* * *

><p><strong>Veh! A chapter that isn't in Lauren's point of view~! X3<strong>

**Question time~~!**

**One: … (This is kind of embarrassing…) Do you have any ideas for Dimah's flashbacks? I haven't studied up on Russia's history… o3o;**

**Two: What would happen if you found someone you were close to in the condition Lauren was in?**

**RQ: What language should I take for high school? O3o I've been considering German, but my options are everything that Lauren speaks minus Japanese and Chinese.**

**Four: What color would you change your eyes to, if you could?**

***Hmhm* ... Masquerade... *hmmhmm* ... paper faces on parade... *hmmhmm***

**E-churros to those who review, and ten e-churros to those who already have~! X3**


	22. Dark Side Revealed

**Okay, I couldn't help but write this. =w=  
><strong>**Nothing belongs to me but Lauren, for she ischt mein.**

**Public scolding time~**

**My really close friend, whose name will remain under alias (Tenshi at the moment), has recently been broken up with.  
><strong>**The guy's name is Isaac.**

**I just got wind of this a couple days ago, but I feel like blowing my top and just stalking him and—_* CENSORED FOR SEVERE VIOLENCE *  
><em>**…  
><strong>Well, yeah. o3o;<strong>

**Oh, and there was this thing in the downtown area of where I live, where you walk five blocks and learn about the town's history from actors who pretend to be ghosts...and it was pretty pathetic, mind you...then again, it was the first one ever, so...**

**Well, that's that, but I dressed up as Germany by wearing a black tank-top, dark-green shorts und a vest of the same color.**  
><strong>I slicked my hair back into a bun and so, ja. No cosplay, but it was still similar :3 ...<strong>  
><strong>Mein freunden wore a lot of blue to be Italy.<strong>  
><strong>(At this, I facepalmed - she wouldn't let me give her a curl.)<strong>

**So, there we were, listening to one of the actors tell his story, when in the crowd, I spot some guy in a tie-dye shirt—who just so happens to look EXACTLY like France.**  
><strong>His hair was back in a ponytail, but was the same color, length and style.<strong>  
><strong>He had a stubbly-beard, und was the same skin-tone.<strong>  
><strong>EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM SCREAMED FRANCE!<strong>

**Then, when he looked over at me und Italy, he jumped and looked away. e3e**

**Okay, done ranting about my life that you don't want to hear about. :3**

* * *

><p>Lauren's POV<p>

* * *

><p>I twitch awake. Flailing, I sit up, and recognize the face of Dimah immediately, and he looks worried... I smile at him, and he apprehensively greets me with an unusually gentle kiss. I go to get up, when Issa begins to freak out as Dimah holds me back, still gently.<p>

"Lauren, you can't get up! You're almost dead!"

I raise an eyebrow at her, and struggle against Dimah's grip as I say, "I made it to the doorstep, after crossing a country. I think I'll make it. You gave me stitches and all that waffle, yes?" I turn to Arthur, who nods crossly.

"Yeah, I did, but you can't just up and leave the infirmary after such severe torture."

I glare at him unintentionally, and he flinches.

"I'm going up to my room. I'm fine. I need to do some research." I growl, and England softens, but Canada stands in the way bravely.

This temporarily stuns me.

"N-no." He says, and I continue to glare, but he just shakes his head and glares back.

I finally sigh, not wanting to scare mein maple-y buddy.

"Fine then. Would you do me the favor of at least getting me a laptop with internet and some earphones, plus some paper and a pencil?" I list off my research objects.

Arthur sends America to get the assorted objects. And my bed. Which I didn't ask for.

"I thought sharin' a bed with your boyfriend would lead to…"

Swearing under my breath at the sudden laughter of both France (who was intentionally Onhonhon-ing) and Harvey (who had no choice and looked sorry), I stand, red-faced and place myself on my bed, snuggling under the cat hair-covered blanket.

"Oh, dear, that won't do!" England mumbles when he sees the fur.

I glare at him, and Russicat jumps onto my bed as I begin my research. I begin to type and research as I put on a random internet radio station.  
>Finally, after a few hours, I find the right thing I was looking for and begin to copy the information into a writing program.<p>

"**Lauren?" A voice says, and I look over to see Issa, staring worriedly at me.**

"**Ja?" I question, not looking up from the computer screen.**

"…**Why did you go?"**

"**Because I'm an idiot and had nothing better to do. And, because Art and Soul decided she was bored with hospital drama…" I mumble.**

"**But, she just created more…"**

**A light shone from the ceiling, and when everyone's eyes adjusted, a girl who looked really similar to myself sat, facepalming.**

"**You just HAD to break ze fourth vall, didn't you?" She growled in a German accent.**

"**Yep! Hi readers!" I grin, and Issa giggles.**

"**Vhy…does no vun listen to me?" Anime tears poured from the Authoress' face, but suddenly, she growled, "You all owe me a muffin! Und Dimah, you owe me a hug!"**

**Dimah looked up from his book, and shrugged, "I can't reach you. You're in the ceiling."**

**Suddenly the Authoress flew down on a magical rainbow-colored head of lettuce and wore a large purple top hat.**

"**HUG!" She roared, and Dimah sighed and stood, going to hug the Authoress.**

**She grinned, and turned to the readers.**

"**Ven you finish reading zis, zis randomness vill be over und you vill remember nothing! Oh, ja, und four hours have passed by."**

By now, it's dawn, around seven in the morning. I'm still working, and everyone around me has fallen asleep… I'm tired, yeah, but I need to research that purple stuff that Germany shot me with before whatever it is takes full effect…  
>Eventually, I can't type any more—my fingers literally stop working, and I just pass out, then and there.<p>

* * *

><p>England POV<p>

* * *

><p>A loud thump jolted me awake. Light hit my eyes and I realize that the sun has risen. It must be early, because everyone else is asleep… I sigh and look around.<br>Even Lauren is asleep…good. She needs her rest. I investigate the crash, and realize that the laptop she was using was the source of the noise when she kicked it into the footboard.  
>I stare curiously at the laptop…what was she researching? She knows the essential languages here…hmm.<br>Would she kill me if I looked…? … I think I'll risk it…

I slowly pick the laptop up and sit down in my chair, opening the laptop. I jump when it makes a loud 'ding' noise, signaling its being used. I look up at Lauren, because she'd snorted in her sleep. Suddenly, she sits up, alerting Dimah, who for some reason had begun to cuddle her in her sleep—did he go to her bed intentionally?  
>If so…why? Would it be something France told him to do? … That frog...!<br>Dimah's eyes open wide, and he looks at me as Lauren groans and falls back down onto her pillow.

"Why do you have Lauren's computer?" He asked, tiredly but curiously.

"…Why are _you_ in her bed?" I retort, and he shrugs.

"She was whimpering in her sleep. When I held her hand, it lessened, and when I lay with her, she slept peacefully. I am good boyfriend, da?" He smiles and I glare at him.

Suddenly Lauren sits up, giving a half-lidded glare at the wall opposite her.

She takes in a breath, and says, "And _why _would I want _that?_" In an accusing, irritated tone. **(This has actually happened to meh. I did this. Und scared mein friend.)**

I freeze, and Dimah's brows knit together in confusion—when Lauren falls back onto her pillow, asleep again. I sigh, and Dimah goes back to sleep. That's when I notice he was on top of the sheets, with his own keeping him warm.  
>Maybe he isn't a bad guy after all… I smile, but go back to the computer. I open the writing program that was recently used, and just the title of the document worried me.<p>

_Insanity Poison._

_Chloromonoxide, or insanity poison, is a military-developed chemical. It was made in June 1941 during World War II in Berlin, Germany, to use on Allied prisoners for information. It caused so much pain that it was later banned, deemed 'too cruel even to use on the Allied swine.' Physical descriptions say that it had a purple color to it, and looked the consistency of blood. It was usually applied by injection, because if it was ingested, it would eat the victim from the inside out. _

_The poison attacks the nervous and circulatory systems, and will overload the human brain's capacity for feeling pain, leading to mental disorders and dysfunctions of the brain. _

_The poison has no known cure but has not been used since the end of 1941. It sent 140,000 soldiers to their deaths and debilitated another 10,000._

This is all she wrote.  
>That blasted German used that poison on <em>my <em>citizen? How dare he!

"How DARE he!" I scream, infuriated. **(Lol, Iggyrage!)**

I ended up waking up the girl in question.

"Arthur, why are you looking at my laptop?" She rubs her eye with her fist as she yawns.

"Because it fell on the floor and I was making sure it wasn't broken," I lie.

She glares at me in that way she does…it's like she has some kind of lie radar…  
>I can't help but crack under the new-and-improved glare. The red eye makes it all the creepier…<p>

"Okay, I lied, I was reading your research!"

She looks ready to kill me.

"Why?" She growls, low and ferocious, like a cat about to pounce on its prey.

"…Because it seemed not to have any effect on you, that poison…it's what made me see monsters…and if Germany injected you with it, you…should be like that, too…" … Right?

"Well, I suppose I should've been infected by now. Maybe it's going to affect Teacup more than me…since, y'know, he was in control when the allotted infection time of ten to fifteen minutes had been put into motion. So…that means he's nuttier than usual, I suppose—" Here she glares at her side, and mutters, "Shut up, I'm talking!" Then continues to me normally, "I don't notice any mental differences…other than the strange urge to braid China's hair…"

She finally noticed Dimah, and just smiled and cuddled him, successfully waking him up.

"Oh, good morning~!" He chirps, smiling at her.

"Morning," She mumbles back, and when he lets her go, she quickly stands up.

"Lauren, stop!" I reach out to grab her as she runs out the infirmary door, but she slips through my fingers, leaving her hospital gown behind.

She's out the door before anyone else breathes…

"…Should I go find her?" Dimah asks.

I just nod…  
>Maybe the poison really <em>has <em>taken effect…

* * *

><p>Lauren's POV<br>Since she woke up

* * *

><p>I twitch awake again from a loud noise, and the first thing I see is Arthur with my computer. He looks angry, but when he sees me, looks…almost scared.<p>

"Arthur, why are you looking at my laptop?" I question tiredly, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

"Because it fell on the floor and I was making sure it wasn't broken."

I lower my head a bit and glare at him, and within seconds, he cracks.

"Okay, I lied, I was looking at your research!" He admits.

Anger fills my body, and for some reason, I feel like kicking Arthur in the throat…

_**Do it, do it, DO IT!**_

"Why?" I growl, restraining from actually physically lashing out at my nation.

"…Because it seemed not to have any effect on you, that poison…it's what made me see monsters…and if Germany injected you with it, you…should be like that, too…" He honestly looks concerned.

_**Really? Let's make him see stars this time!**_

"Well, I suppose I should've been infected by now. Maybe it's going to affect Teacup more than me…since, y'know, he was in control when the allotted infection time of ten to fifteen minutes had been put into motion. So…that means he's nuttier than usual, I suppose—"

_**Hey, hey, if I'm insane, does that mean if you kill someone you can plead insanity? …Let's take France out first!**_

"Shut up, I'm talking!" I growl at Teacup—blasted cat—then turn back to Arthur and continue normally as if uninterrupted. "I don't notice any mental differences…other than the strange urge to braid China's hair…"

Suddenly I notice the weight making my bed slant behind me. I turn to see Dimah, looking all innocent and cuddly and sleeping. Going with my instinct, I cuddle him, and he wakes up.

"Oh, good morning~!" He chirps as he wraps his arms around me.

"Morning," I mumble back, and when he releases me, I go with instinct again, stand, and bolt out the door.

"Lauren, stop!" Arthur's fingertips touch my shoulder, but I slip past him and out the door.

_**Nice!**_

I grin and head for the front door, where I run out and dive into the snow, making snow angels. A few minutes later, Dimah appears, looking extremely nervous.

"Lauren, come back inside! You're hurt!" He sputters, and I just wave a dismissive hand.

"Come on, Dimah, it's just a few cuts and bruises! I'm fine, really!"

He raises an eyebrow at me, "There are chunks of your arms and legs that are missing."

I smirk at him, "Well, then, I lost weight. Every girl's dream. Come on and play in the snow! It's fun!"

**_Are you sure that poison didn't affect you?_**

Mentally, I glare at the cat, but eventually Dimah seems to have no choice but agree with me. I grin, and he jumps into a snow bank.  
>Suddenly, a large, wet, cold something hit my back, dead-center on a pair of whip gashes that had crossed each other. I grunt, and fall over, but Dimah just glares at the 10-year-old that threw the snowball.<p>

"Ah! An assassin!" He shouts, and begins to quickly form new snowballs, "Take cover, milady!"

I giggle and duck behind a snow bank, and soon, Dimah and I were soldiers in a war of snow. I grin as I quickly put together a giant snowball and poke Dimah in the side. When he turns his attention to me, a kid nails him in the back of the head, but he just laughs, picks the snowball up, and holds it above his head.  
>Just the sheer size of the snowball, combined with Dimah's strength, scared the munchkins away.<br>I giggle, and finally, Dimah convinces me into going back inside.

"That was fun!" I grin, and we chat for a while until we reach the infirmary.

The first thing I see is a furious Arthur.

"WHY did you leave the infirmary?" He shrieks, "I WAS SO BLOODY WORRIED!"

I sigh and huggle him tightly, "I'm okay. If I can make it across a country without any tourniquet, stitches, or even bandages—I think I can make it around the house, don't you?"

He continues fuming for a minute, but finally sighs irritably and waves me off.

"LAUREN!" Issa shrieks, glomping me from behind and causing me to topple over.

"ISSA!" I shriek back, and hug her tight.

"Y-you're all bandaged and bruised!" She says, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Ja, I was tortured. Pain was unbearable…Oi, Canada, d'you feel up to making pancakes?"

Issa bonks me on the head, "Lauren! Focus!"

I shake my head.

"I can't when I'm being squished by an Issa…" I grumble, and she immediately jumps up.

"Sorry!"

I roll my eyes and stand up, wobble, and fall back onto my rump. Grumbling again, I stand, and Spain walks in.

"Hola! Senorita Lauren, you're looking better~!" He chirps.

I giggle and glomp him. Romano walks in, and I hug him, too.

"Ch-chigi!" He shouts, but doesn't pull back.

I let go and huggle Prussia.

"Prussia~!" I chirp.

"Lauren's sure huggy today…" Zack observes, and I hug him, too.

"What about me?" America whines, and I jump over und give him a hug, too.

Then, Canada, France (I let go when he tried to grope my butt…), China, and Dimah. Dimah's hug lasted longest. :3  
>…Suddenly, I feel tired, und lay down to sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>When I awaken, I see that I've slept until about eleven o'clock, according to the clock on the wall… The only other people awake are Prussia, England and Dimah. I think Dimah was having another flashback, though… His eyes were glazed over, and he was Kol-ing as he struggled against the ropes. I traced his line of vision to an uncomfortable Prussia, whom was casually trying to melt into the wall…<br>I sigh and pick up my computer, beginning to randomly click through songs—finally, a title catches my eye as I click on it—_Arthur Dances to K-Pop for No Apparent Reason._ **(I DON'T OWN! But go see it. It's both funny AND scarring. ^J^)  
><strong>By the time the video is over, I'm cowering in the corner of my bed farthest from Arthur as possible.

"T-that's…my country…!" I mumble, and Dimah then snaps out of his ferocious state of mind.

He looks curiously at Prussia, whom looks about ready to wet his trousers. I stand and sit next to Dimah and hug him.

"Good morning, cranky," I mumble into his scarf.

"…What did I do?" He asks curiously.

"Well, for starters, you kol'd at Prussia, and tried to possibly strangle him if it wasn't for your ropes…" I explain.

"…I suppose my dark side really shows when I'm in those fits, then…" He mumbles, and I smile.

Something about his words…made a memory link in the back of my head. I just don't know what it is yet…but either way, I go back to my internet-ing and Dimah goes back to being Dimah. Prussia tries to correct my typing. I slam the lid on his fingers, which brings an odd satisfaction to my emotions…  
>When England doesn't look, and everyone else is sleeping, I get bored and sneak away into my room.<p>

_**You really have a lack of discipline, don't you?**_

"Well, I'm not going to sit in that stuffy old room for who-knows-how-long…"

_**Good point. But, what happens if you get all hurt again? I can't give you all my lives, and I'm sure not going to die anytime soon. This is all too fun to watch.**_

"I'm glad we come to an agreement. Dying is bad…but what about that…chloromonoxide. Is that doing anything to hinder us…?"

_**Well, yeah. As soon as the insanity wears off, the pain is going to come back, little by little, until the insanity returns as well. A vicious cycle of neverending disability…pain that keeps you from moving, and insanity is its own prison.**_

I am silent as Teacup's words process.

_**Don't say anything, I think someone's coming…**_

Little pinprick-like feelings begin to slowly progress through my arm. I stare at it, and nothing but the pain is there—no needles or anything…  
>The prickling continues and spreads to my shoulder, and across to my other arm. Then, it begins to spread downward…<br>The pain brings small tears to my eyes as I lay on the floor where my bed was previously, curled in the fetal position.

_**See? I knew it.**_

"S-shut up…"

_**Why should I? I warned you. You should've braced yourself…**_

"Shut up!" I weakly shout, and that's when the door bursts open.

I jump up, and when I see that it's Issa, I go back to my fetal position and crying. I don't think she'll mind a few tears…

"Lauren?"

I just sniffle and refuse to look up.

"Lauren, don't cry…come on…" She awkwardly pats me on the back.

I shake my head as thoughts run through it…

_I've been drugged…  
><em>_I've been tortured…  
><em>_I'm dead…  
><em>…  
><em>As I breathe, I'm decaying…<em>

"_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" _I quietly sing between my sobs.

Silence, other than my quiet sobs as the pinpricks begin to feel more like burns.

"…Do you want me to go get Dimah…?" Issa's voice was hesitant.

I could only nod as I listen to Issa's quick, but fading footsteps. I sniffle myself into silence, and stand up, looking for something to distract me from the pain. I find a small…is it a Jack-in-the-Box? Those scare me…  
>I look closely and decide to experimentally turn the crank…<br>When soft music emits from the box, that isn't "Pop goes the Weasel", I jump, but keep turning the knob when I finally hear the returning footsteps.

This tune is awfully familiar…

_**It's probably just you. I remember the time your little buddy said something and you thought she said sausage…**_

"Lauren?" A soft, high, but still male voice came from behind me.

I am too wrapped in my box of musics to pay attention to Dimah, as I sniffle again, and twist the crank…  
>I subconsciously begin to sing the lyrics softly, trying to remember the name of the song.<p>

"_There's a place that I know  
><em>_It's not pretty there and few have ever gone…" _

I don't realize I'm singing in Japanese until this point. Maybe it's because I've been speaking it so long…

"_If I show it to you now, will it make you run away?  
><em>_Or will you stay, even if it hurts?  
><em>_Even if I try to push you out, will you return?  
><em>_And remind me who I really am,  
><em>_Please remind me who I really am…"_

I pause, and the music stops along with my hand, trying to remember the other words…

"Lauren?" Dimah calls again, but again, I am too immersed in the music to notice anything or anyone else as I continue to sing, just barely above a whisper.

"_Everybody's got a dark side  
><em>_Do you love me?  
><em>_Can you love mine?  
><em>_Nobody's a picture perfect  
><em>_But we're worth it  
><em>_You know that we're worth it  
><em>_Will you love me  
><em>_Even with my dark side?"_

Again, Dimah calls out, this time with Issa joining in. … This song…

_**Sounds like something you and that Russian have in common. Dark sides…except, I'm more cool than he is. **_

Bloody cat…

"_Like a diamond  
><em>_From black dust  
><em>_It's hard to know what can become  
><em>_If you give up  
><em>_So don't give up on me  
><em>_Please remind me who I really am…_

_Everybody's got a dark side  
><em>_Do you love me?  
><em>_Can you love mine?  
><em>_Nobody's a picture perfect  
><em>_But we're worth it  
><em>_You know that we're worth it  
><em>_Will you love me  
><em>_Even with my dark side…?"_

I pause to lie on my side, where there weren't too many cuts, and hold my head in my hand as I continue cranking the box.

"_Don't run away  
><em>_Don't run away  
><em>_Just tell me that you will stay  
><em>_Promise me that you will stay  
><em>_Don't run away  
><em>_Don't run away  
><em>_Just promise me that you will stay  
><em>_Promise me you will stay_

_Will you love me…?_

_Everybody's got a dark side  
><em>_Do you love me?  
><em>_Can you love mine?  
><em>_Nobody's a picture perfect  
><em>_But we're worth it  
><em>_You know that we're worth it  
><em>_Will you love me  
><em>_Even with my dark side?_

_Don't run away  
><em>_Don't run away  
><em>_Don't run away  
><em>_Promise you will stay…" _The music box starts to start over, so I quit singing.

"Lauren!" Issa calls, making me jump.

"What? Oh, hi, Dimah," I smile at my Russian.

His eyes were wide, and suddenly, he hugs me tightly.

"I love you so much, _moi svet_…" He whispers.

I tilt my head curiously—apparently, Dimah is one to act on emotion. I gasp and almost fall over—

"Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson!" I announce proudly.

Issa facepalms, and I stand, and am almost literally dragged back into the infirmary as I sing _They're Coming to Take me Away_.

"They're coming to take me away, ha-ha~!" I chirp.

_**It's coming…**_

I stop singing.

"What's coming?" I ask worriedly.

_**The actual insanity… You're in for it now, human! Finally, you'll see the world through my eyes!**_

Teacup's unusually giddy voice suddenly sounds doubled. It's…almost like he's both in and out of my head at once… Suddenly, I have the urge to hear someone screaming…

"…Lauren?" Issa questions worriedly.

We pass a mirror…  
>Both my eyes are…bright crimson. Like blood…<br>I want to see blood.

"…Issa?" I mock, and she looks curiously at me as we pass through the infirmary door.

As soon as we get there, Dimah sets me onto my bed and holds me tightly as Issa and Arthur talk in hushed voices…About me, perhaps?

I roll my eyes and look around for someone to torture…It'd be fun to hear France beg for his life…

_**Good thoughts. Let's put them into action.**_

"As much fun as that sounds, I'm sleepy again. We can torture him later…" I mumble, and lay down, burying myself deep into the fuzzy black blanket.

"T-torture who?" A nervous voice asks…England.

"Who else but the frog?" I respond, and I hear a squeal, but then I drift into a dream that scares me to recount.

**The nations and look-alikes were lined up in a neat row.  
><strong>…  
><strong>America.<br>****I blink, and a white light flashes.  
><strong>**I see myself sticking needles into his artery and forcefully taking his blood.  
><strong>**His screams ring through my ears and send a chill up my spine…  
><strong>**I blink again, and the next in line is Austria.  
><strong>**Another blink brings another flash, and the me in my dream is bashing the musician's head into his piano, staining the ivory keys crimson.  
><strong>**I blink again and the torturous scene playing before my eyes ends.  
><strong>**I notice that those two have disappeared…**

**I look at Belarus, and blink.  
><strong>**What I see is me, suffocating her with Russia's scarf…  
><strong>**Blink.  
><strong>**China.  
><strong>**Blink.  
>In front of me rests a bloody China, sprawled on the ground from unknown torture. <span>(Sorry Fireflame1801! I'll give you a free, uninjured China. Here. *One free China!*)<span>**

**I cackle, and blink.**

**More and more nations are tortured.**

**I hesitate when I reach England…**

**Trying my hardest not to shut my eyes, eventually I have to give in and blink. I see myself injecting him with assorted poisons made not to kill but to torture…and leaving the needles in. His screams pierce my eardrums, and I feel a shudder of combined pleasure and guilt.**

**Blink.**

**I see Issa… I try even harder not to blink, but still end up about to jab her with a needle, when I blink again, but her screaming still floods my ears.**

**Now it's France. Surrounded by burning rose bushes, I forcefully shove a corn cob down his throat. His screams are muffled by the vegetable.  
><strong>**Blink~!**

**In front of me is Dimah.  
><strong>…  
><strong>I don't want…<br>****I…  
><strong>**Shove his head into a tub of water.  
><strong>**Blink!**

**I unwillingly torture several more nations and friends until I finally reach the one I was looking for. In front of me is the one I want to torture…**

**Germany.**

**He's bound and gagged, and I light fire to his clothing, dumping his stupid beer all over him and making him catch fire faster. The gag burns off as he's charred. He refuses to scream, so I begin to whip him like he did to me. Then, I pour water on him and douse the flame. He sighs, but I place white-hot needles and other things into him everywhere.  
><strong>**I snicker as I finally get a whimper out of him… But it's not enough…  
><strong>**I place a fire-poker that was hot at the tip onto his neck, where his shoulder connects. He whimpers again, so I find a white-hot, nine-inch nail and begin to drive it through his shoulder. He finally screams, and I cackle, feeling a burst of pleasure and satisfaction.**

My eyes snap open, and I see England and Dimah worriedly staring at me while Issa holds me by the shoulders, shaking me awake.

"Lauren! Lauren, what's going on?" She shrieks when I sit up, "You were screaming and cackling in your sleep!"

I stare into Issa's eyes and blink.  
>Her torture scene flashes in front of my eyes and her screams pierce my ears…<p>

"…Torture. Everyone…" I mumble, and suddenly, Issa facepalms.

"How many British people have to go insane before this is all over…?" She sighs irritably, and I laugh, but then return to a straight face.

_**You should tell them. Give them fair warning before you destroy them.**_

"Okay!" I chirp, and Issa looks at me funny.

"Hey, just to let you guys know, I'm insane," I state blatantly.

"We know," Issa deadpans.

"…No, like, really. I want to hear screams. I want to make someone bleed. I'm giving you all fair warning, but the first to go will probably be France…" I trail off, considering my options for torture.

And suddenly, everyone seems to back up in one motion.

I just grin, "So, yeah. Let the Yandere-ness begin~!"

Canada suddenly jumps up, "I TOLD YOU!" He yells—well, it was yelling for him—at Issa.

She just facepalms.

**Mmyey~! New chapter brings music and Yandere!Lauren. :3**

**QUESTIONS!**

**One: …. I got nothing, so let's just skip to two. Two—OH, WAIT, still one: So, did you think Lauren would snap that fast? Or was it slow?  
><strong>**Two: Should Teacup physically appear to everyone?  
><strong>**Random Question: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF ICE CREAM AND/OR COOKIE?  
><strong>**Three: Lauren's insane. What happens next? o3o  
><strong>

**Holy churros. This is almost 12 ½ pages long. :U**


	23. Summoning Teacup

**Authoress + creepy music + Snapped!Lauren = This chapter. :3  
><strong>**I don't own anything besides Lauren!  
><strong>**Big shoutout to Mem-chan, whose birthday was the 1st!  
>HAPPEH BIRTHDAY!<br>****Canada, march your butt over to her and give her a BIG hug!  
><strong>***Canada* *Meep* … O-okay. *Huggles Mem-chan***

* * *

><p>It was about ten at night, and I now had a rope around my foot and all possible weapons were removed from me but the ones I couldn't use easily. The lights were shut off and a schizophrenic weather pattern went on outside: it rained, but being still (late) January the rain froze and was snow before it hit the ground. It hit the manor roof, however, as rain, and made the calming noise that has lulled me to sleep all the years of my life in Britain. Looking down at my weapons artillery, I see that I still have my laptop and the history book I 'borrowed' from Germany, so I turn on a reading lamp, crack the book open, and begin to make my new eyes scan the German lettering.<br>As I read, I begin to get bored of reading about Martin Luther and his 95 Theses, and begin to hum a gentle tune I'd known since childhood, that I know now to have a dark meaning. Almost instantly, I find out that Issa is awake—she begins to sing with the tune.

"_Ring around the rosy  
><em>_Pockets full of posies  
><em>_Ashes, ashes,  
><em>_We all fall down…"_

I pause in reading.

_**Do you think she knows the meaning?**_

"She probably does…" I mutter.

By now, people who know about Teacup have stopped looking at me strangely. Issa pipes up.

"She probably does what?" She asks, curious.

"Well," I start, shifting onto my side to face her, "Teacup was wondering if you know the history of 'Ring Around the Rosy'. I'm curious, myself, but he asked the question…"

Issa pauses, but shrugs and shakes her head, "Nope."

"Do you _want_ to know?" I question, odd excitement building in my chest.

She shrugs again. "Sure."

I smile and sit up, leaning forward like I do, and begin to tell the story.

"Well, when I tell people, I like dissecting it, piece by piece. Let's start with the specific date. It's quite old—somewhere over 500 years, to be specific. Ancient as it may be, the origin can be pinpointed precisely to three years: 1347 to 1350." I pause, and Issa sits up as well, curious.

She gives me the 'go on' nod, and that's just what I do.

"Between these three years, over one third of the population of Europe perished." The dark tone I had that was laced with giddiness made Issa jump.

Out of the blue, I notice a flashlight near Issa—she traces my line of vision and tosses me the flashlight. I turn off the reading lamp and make the scary-shadow on my face—you know, the one that makes your face look hollowed out and your eyes sink deep into your skull—as I continue my story.

"Let's begin the dissection, shall we?" She nods, clutching a pillow. "Good. The first line, _Ring around the Rosy,_ actually refers to the Black Plague, or Black Death, or Bubonic Plague—you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, one of the first physical signs of infection was red rings surrounding a red, or 'rosy,' bump, found all over the victim's body. _Pockets full of posies _has been given several meanings, some of the more popular to be that another symptom was a horrific stench because of the victim's lymph system filling with blood, and people carried around pockets full of posies to hide it. Another theory was that the people believed the disease was carried by foul air, so they made the air sweet by carrying the posies. The one I believe in, however, is that they used the posies to hide the scent of death on bodies and…everywhere."

Issa's eyes widened a little, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"_Ashes, Ashes_…In the terminal phases of the disease, victims would be internally bleeding, sometimes prompting sneezing as it aggravated the breathing passages. "Ashes" is a child's approximation of a convulsion of sneezing…Now, here's the big finish. In this weakened state, a victim could, and often did, sneeze their lungs out." I smirk.

"Messy…" Issa squeaked.

I nod, "And the last line doesn't need much explanation. _We all fall down_…"

By now, Issa's eyes were as wide as plates. "We teach that stuff to children!" She gasps.

I nod and chirp, "Yep!"

Suddenly, Issa shouts at Canada, "Will you shut up about the yandere/tsundere thing?"

Then I roll over, conversing quietly with Teacup until I hear a loud bang.  
>I ignore it, and resume my conversation, until finally I get bored and look up to see Zack with a large amount of blood staining his shirt and pants.<p>

Unsurprised by this, I just shrug and begin to try and let myself loose until I hear Arthur shout, "You, stop that!"

Everyone continues to talk and bicker for a while… Soon, I hear Issa Friendzone both Josh and Zack, and then a door slamming. I hear Arthur start to freak out, and I blink.

"Arthur!" I shout, and he pauses and looks at me.

"What?" He shrieks.

"Yer a wizard, Arthur," I say, imitating Rubeus Hagrid. **(I don't own!)**

His stressed expression drifts into a smile, but within minutes he's back to freaking out, until Canada and Kumajiro leave to find Issa, returning a while later. I begin to ponder.  
>Then, an idea springs to mind. If Russia was summoned by magic long ago, couldn't he be summoned again…?<br>I begin to plot evilly and drift to sleep.

**I'm alone. The streets of London are empty, and it's dark and cold and wet outside. I walk alone, and suddenly I notice a girl as I pass by a window and see my reflection, and am shocked by her.**

**The girl has my face, but a small, childish, rounded face, pale and freckled—dull brown eyes stare at the window, a bored expression on the reflection's small face. **

"**Is…?" Suddenly, the memory returns.**

**This day…nine years ago…**

**A meow at the girl's feet causes me to look down, and a black cat with crimson eyes stares up at her. She smiles and begins to pet the cat. It licks her hand, and she giggles before continuing home.**

_**Wait! **_

**A male voice calls after her. The voice sends shivers up my spine as the girl turn around to see the cat, sitting alone behind me on the sidewalk.**

"…**Did you talk?" She asks it tentatively.**

**It nods.**

"**What's your name?" The girl proceeds to question.**

_**I have no name.**_

"…**Are you a cat?"**

_**Sort of.**_

"**Sort of how?"**

_**That's not the point. What's your name?**_

"…**Lauren…"**

**I feel my eyes widen. … This is that day…**

…_**Did you know that your name is Latin? It's Laurel Flower.**_

"**Really? I like flowers!" The younger me grins, and kneels back down, reaching to scratch behind the feline's inky-black ears.**

…_**Lauren, can I ask you a question?**_

"**Go ahead," I mouth silently in sync with myself as the cat begins to purr.**

…_**If I said I wanted to possess you…how would that make you feel?**_

**Younger me stands in quiet silence.**

"**But my pastor told me that being possessed is bad…"**

_**Oh, nonsense. It's not bad—it doesn't hurt a bit, either.**_

"…**Why should I let you?" A suspicious tone crosses my higher-pitched voice as those brown eyes, stained red from tears, narrow.**

_**I can take away your pain.**_

**My miniature's and my eyes widen in sync, brown and red, as my past takes a shocked step back. Curiosity and hope bubbles inside of my junior whilst rage does the same in mine. This day…!**

"**H-how?"**

_**It's too hard to explain, but I can. Just trust me…**_

**A tense silence passes. Nothing happens. More silence, and rain begins to fall gently, as it always does.**

"…**Okay."**

**As soon as she said the one word, the cat pounced on her, and seemed to turn to dust and fly into her windpipe. She gasps, and coughs—a small amount of blood comes out of her mouth, as she screams. I begin to remember the pain as the downpour grows stronger.  
><strong>**The pain…  
><strong>**The screaming…  
><strong>**The injuries begin to flood back onto me. Places where scars had gone begin to bleed again, and all of my new injuries open again as well. I writhe in misery as my body is ravaged.**

I wake to hear my own screaming. I look down, and my white sheets are crimson. Everything really has opened. Everything is hurting.

"Oh my—Lauren!" Arthur cries, jumping up.

Prussia, France and Canada come to my aid as well.

"Mon Dieu!" Canada and France shouted, while Prussia yelled, "Mein Gott!"

I had no time for their multi-linguistic cries of shock...

"Help me!" I scream—but nothing comes out.

My death-cut was opened again… Soon, I pass out.  
>When I open my eyes, Arthur is staring worriedly at me. Canada is putting more stitches into everything—arms, legs, stomach… neck…I lay motionless as I'm stitched together, feeling rather like some kind of modern-age feminine Frankenstein. When I'm all pieced together, I notice a rail-thin, sleek black cat. It notices me and lays on my damp, crimson pillow, placing its paws on my forehead—one of the only uninjured parts of me.<p>

"Bad kitty!" Prussia shouts.

"Go away," Arthur shoos the cat.

The cat glares at them all and flicks its tail.

"_I daresay I have a right to be with my human_." It stated clearly and plainly.

Teacup had appeared.  
>Everyone and everything in the room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I look upward at my demon, and he looks down at me.<p>

"You. Why are you here? Did you do this?" I ask, lifting an extremely stitched left leg.

"_I wanted to see the world for myself. Now I can. And yeah, I did, I needed to get out, and it involved some scratches along the way." _

His paws emit a black, tar-like substance, which he then bats onto my injuries. They sear like fire for a few minutes, but are back to scars soon enough. I sit up, and Issa smacks Teacup on the head.

"Bad kitty!" She yells.

Teacup just glares at her. I poke him in the side, and untie the knot around my ankle before wobbling out of the room. Arthur catches me soon after.

"How did you get away?"

"It was a knot, Arthur. I can untie knots," I deadpan.

He brings me back into the infirmary, which is when I steal his spell book and some of that powder he'd been mixing. I bolt out the door and make my way into the basement, where I begin to draw lines on the floor, and erase and redraw until I get the exact markings I was looking for. I go and find some candles, place them in the proper places, and hold the spell book in the crease of my elbow. I hear the door open, but ignore it and begin mein chanting:

"Santo, Rita, Mita, Meada, Ringo, Jonah, Tito, Marlon… Jack la Toya, Janet, Michael, Dumbledora The Explorer! Santo, Rita, Mita, Meada, Ringo, Jonah, Tito, Marlon… Jack la Toya, Janet, Michael, Dumbledora The Explorer!" I recite the rest of Arthur's chant.

I hear a gasp behind me as the "winds of magic" begin to make my bloodied clothing flow. What begins to come out of the pentagram-esque shape shocks me and relieves me.

* * *

><p><strong>Russia's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I sit with a smile plastered on my face. The smile is fake, obviously. I feel pain in everything, and I am alone, but I am being watched by Germany—I know I am. No one puts a mirror in a torture area. I sit in silence, going over why I was here, when suddenly the 'mirror' breaks into a million little pieces. Amidst the pieces, a girl who looks startlingly like Japan is thrown in with it.<p>

"Are you okay?" I ask, letting my slightly startled face ask more than my question.

"Yeah, m'fine," She grumbles, making her way to her feet and getting a lot of injuries along the way.

Then, Germany jumps through the hole in the wall (I was right—not a mirror!) with a whip in his hand. The girl goes into battle position, but then suddenly gasps and takes a few steps back. I trace her line of vision, and notice something peculiar about Germany. His eyes, instead of being the icy-blue they usually are, are instead a menacing golden.  
>As Germany raises the whip, I feel an unusual sinking feeling. Not like a bad premonition, but—I've only felt it once before. It makes a connection in my head, and I try to jump up, but only manage to scoot toward Rin. She falls into my lap, right as the world goes black.<p>

"Mein Gott!" I hear a voice I recognize quite well shout, "It worked!"

"You called?"

* * *

><p><strong>RAWR I'M A KITTEH!<br>****I AM THE ALMIGHTY!  
><strong>**FEAR THE FUZZY!  
><strong>**FEAR IT! :U**

**Question time~!**

**One: So, did you know the Ring-Around-the-Rosy thing?  
><strong>**Two: How many kinds of cries can you think of, internationally? (Ex: Mein Gott, Mon Dieu, Sacre Bleu, Mamma Mia, etc.)  
><strong>**RANDOM QUESTION! What's your favorite movie?  
><strong>**Random question two! Have you read the Harry Potter books? :U**


	24. Rin and Russia Return!

**ERMAHGERSH**

**IT'S AN UPDATE**

**ER**

**MAH**

**GERSH**

**PREPARE YOURSELVES, FOR THE FEELS ARE APPROACHING**

**(I don't own Hetalia now, just as I didn't in the summer. D: BUT I DO OWN A LOVE OF SHERLOCK AND DOCTOR WHO. Also I don't own the shows. IF I DID SEASON THREE OF SHERLOCK WOULD BE OUT BY NOW.)**

"_Mein Gott, it worked!"_

That's all I remember saying before being randomly transported (it felt really, REALLY weird) into…the infirmary. How did I even get here?! I mean, I was literally just in the basement! I looked around and saw everyone was calmly sleeping. I jump up and run back down to the basement as quickly as I could. I feel…different. But I feel good. Like, inexplicably awesome—maybe it's cuz I did magic! And it worked!

I burst through the door, a maniacal grin on my face as I do so

"Did it work? Did it work?" My voice…

"Yeah, but did you notice the difference?" Issa asks, clearly amused…

I look down finally and realize that I am: A, male, and B, in a green jumper.

"Yeah, I'm you, Arthur~!" I practically sing.

England chuckles, "Where did you learn that?"

"Oh, uh…that one episode of Hetalia," I remark, remembering back.

Wasn't it kind of ironic, that England cursedGermany in the episode, and I kind of cursedGermany somehow now, and I'm British? I shared a grin with Issa after I spoke.

"Your first time doing magic?" Englandcontinued, beaming brightly.

Other than when I was little and pretended a large cardboard box was Hogwarts, then…

"Yep~!" I proudly chirp.

It sounds weird in England's voice…

"Oh, well, the body switch is only a minor setback. I suppose the magic switched us because you were using my things?" He guessed.

In my voice, he's being too logical in my voice. Logic and I just don't go together at all—it's like day and night, sun and moon, fire and water—toothpaste and orange juice!

"I dunno, maybe," I say after a second, and proceed to look at Rin and Russia. "You guys okay? That _dummkopf _didn't hurt you too bad?" I ask softly

"I am fine~!" Russia said with a childish grin.

I LOVE THAT GRIN.

Rin gave a noncommittal shrug. I came closer and put my arm around her.

"Hey, it's okay," I say softly.

Why do I get the feeling I'm wrong…?

Nonetheless she accepts my comforting gesture. I can sense that she wishes it was her friends and not me.

…

Right about now would be when Teacup says something… Oh, right. He's wandering around somewhere.

Somehow, with a lot of effort and sweet-talk, we manage to get Rin up the stairs and back into the infirmary. The whole time, she's shivering and sweating but she doesn't seem to notice, or at least, she doesn't care.

Something about her general body language seems…off. Something like mine that day, or Issa's on those occasions…something all too familiar.

There are so many emotions flitting about her, whether it be body language or in her eyes—I can just see them somehow. Maybe it's because I'm all nation-y now…But she looks to be troubled. That's the best I can explain it. Sad, angry, worried… I watch her for several minutes.

Her eyes flit around the room. They land on the medicine cabinet, full of pills and painkillers. A familiar look in her brown eyes…if it rings true, someone's going to have to...—what? She—she's walking toward them…! I notice Teacup on the floor near her. He's intensely staring at her—he must be putting thoughts into her head, or coaxing them to grow… 

"Rin, what are you doing?" Issa finally speaks up.

She blinks several times, apparently having been zoned out or in a trance… She'd managed to get up from her bed, walk over to the cupboard and take out a bottle of the pills. Gently now, though, she replaced it on the shelf and closed the doors. She looks embarrassed, just slightly—her shoulders tensed up—and I look around quickly. Everyone, nation and human alike, were watching her. That must be—no, I know how that feels…

She gives her head a little shake and my deduction was confirmed—embarrassed. She goes and sits in a spinny-chair in the corner of the room, quietly.

Teacup begins twisting about her ankles. She frowns and jerks her legs up, going cross-legged in the chair. Teacup sits on his haunches and glares at her.

"_You should have done it," _he said.

Rin seems unsurprised by a talking red-eyed demon cat, and replies, "Should've done what?"

"_Took the pills…killed yourself."_

Her frown becomes a scowl, "And what makes you say that?" She asks—well, more of a demand, really.

Teacup begins to groom himself as he says nonchalantly, _"It would have saved you a great deal of pain and ridicule."_

"Teacup!" I finally say, going down memory lane, "Leave her alone, you've ruined enough lives!"

"_I was merely telling the truth…" _Teacup said, shrugging a bit.

"You're lying, cat," Issa spits, looking just how I felt.

Teacup only glares at her before standing up and strutting away.

"Don't listen to him," Issa says to Rin; she only lowers her gaze to her palms.

"C'mere, lemme talk to you," Issa says, beckoning toward the door.

Rin follows her, looking unconcerned and slightly detached.

I remain seated and Teacup jumps up, placing himself on my shoulders.

After a minute of silence, and sitting still, daydreaming about blue police boxes and purple scarves, I finally get up. Teacup still balanced on my shoulders, I wander off, and return with my laptop, and sit myself on my bed.

I pull up a website known infamously as Tumblr and scroll through my stuff. **(A/N: She has a page for real! Laurenthelettuce. It's full of Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Hetalia, but mainly Doctor Who and Sherlock. But really, Sherlock. *brick'd*) **I begin browsing all my pictures of shirtless (and well-drawn, very toned, and generally ASDFJKLMYNATIONISSOHAWT) Hetalia guys. And I giggle.

A lot.

"Lauren…?" England asks, in my voice, and then shudders.

Clearly he finds it too weird to be speaking in my voice. And being in my body. Personally, I find this all very amusing—but there are things that are going to be very, very tedious from this point forward.

"Not now, Fluffy, I'm working." I fight off my smiles and giggles, and do pretty well—until I look back at the screen.

Then at myself. Then I burst into a fit of giggles, kicking my feet in the air as my hands shot to my mouth. My eyes shut tight in gleeful amusement.

England gets fed up.

"_What _is so _funny?_" He asked, slightly annoyed, before walking around and looking at my screen.

Quickly as I could, I click the red X in the upper right corner, hoping and praying he didn't see my pictures.

But, it seems that the magical lettuce hates me, because England's (my) face goes flushed, and his (my) mouth drops open as his (my) eyes widen.

I knew I should've stuck with pictures of the Doctor.

**I AM BACK FROM LE DEAD!**

**Okay, in recent chapter of OMUL, bad choice of words.**

**But I'm sending a thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and stuff. X3**

**And Bunny-Chan, because she's waited a while. And she's awesome. X3**

**AND MEM-CHAN BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT OF THIS STORYLINE IN THE FIRST PLACE.**

**AND FIREFLAME-SAMA BECAUSE SHE ENJOYS WRITING THINGS IN PRIVATE MESSAGES INVOLVING AWESOME PEOPLE WHO LIKE BLOWING THINGS UP AND COOKIES.**

**And I'm going to shut up now.**

**Only one question this time.**

**DID YOU MISS LAUREN?**

**Because she missed all of you. :3**


	25. Switched

**Hello world! So, it's been a while again. I need to update more often…**

**Anyway, guess who broke their "L" key? I DID. And that's bad, considering I have to look for it now—the L button. It's nothing critical because I can still use it (obviously) but it's kind of annoying because it throws me off. Oh, well. I'll manage—I got used to my broken "S" key, too. BUT THAT ONE DIDN'T LOSE EVERY PIECE OF THE KEY, DID IT? NO. *Ahem* Sorry about that. Anyway, I don't own Hetalia or anything you see in the below chapter of Lauren's Story. :3**

**Enjoy~ X3**

So, it's been a little while since England and I switched bodies. And it's been some kind of Dante's Inferno, you see—just little things I'm sure you can figure out. It's kind of horrifying to both of us. It's hard to explain.

But then came the time when England popped up out of nowhere, and dragged me off to a closet.

"Lauren…I…I'm bleeding," he whispers in my voice, looking at me worriedly.

I felt my heart rate double, and honestly felt it beat out a samba. And I tensed pretty bad, too. I brought my palm to my face, and let out a sigh.

"Well, see, that's the magical moment you become a woman," I explain dryly, and he gives me my own glare.

I never realized just how scary it was… I tensed again and continued.

"Well, there are specific things you're going to need from this point until about three days or so from now. One, chocolate. Two, painkillers…" I went on, describing how precisely to take care of my body during this time.

The whole time, England's just blushing away, nodding and trying to remember everything. I watched him carefully as he listened, trying to deduce his feelings about everything. He was just terrified. I don't see why…oh, right—he's been a man all his life. And for him, that's a really long time…he's never had to deal with this…

"And there are specific foods you can and can't eat. Like pears. I hate pears. I don't want to wake up from being you and taste that." I look him square in the eye and he nods, "And finally, Arthur Kirkland, if I find out you've done any of these things wrong or have done something you were told not to—Lord help you." I growl.

Suddenly, the cabinet door swings open, and there stands France, who suddenly looks shocked and amused all at once.

"Ohohonhonhon…~" He begins laughing his throaty French laughter, "I see how it is—"

By now England has tackled him in a fit of rage. Because that's part of what England is made of—rage, jam, rainbows, and kittens. A small bit of him, at least. I could only watch with amusement as my nation fought with France, defending my integrity or something like that. Suddenly, Issa runs up.

"England. England. England. I need you. Iggy. France, shut up and let me talk to Iggy," she says, trying to talk over England and France's insults and grunts of effort.

So, here's a summary: me in England's body watching England in my body fighting with France in France's body, and Issa's watching all three of us, clearly needing to tell something important to England…

"ARTHUR FREAKING KIRKLAND!" Issa finally lost it and shouted—everyone jumped, including myself; England, France, Canada, Rin, and even Teacup, who sat at my feet, jumped a bit, his ears flicking back in surprise, even though he tried to act like he didn't.

Little bugger.

"What's gotten into you?!" England yells at her.

"I've been standing here for five minutes, saying your name over and over, but that's not the point! The point is that Germany bugged Rin and found out it's Italy's blood!" She shouts back, eyes flashing with rage.

I watched my semi-tan skin go pale as the information sinks in.

"Wh-what?!" he gasped.

Rin holds up the crushed remains of the microphone. "He must've put this on my shirt when he threw me through the mirror. He had it all planned."

Not-so-little bugger.

"You squished it?" England asks.

"Yes."

England takes the mechanical skeleton with my fingers and looks at it carefully. "It's German-engineered, alright," he confirms gravely.

Suddenly, there was an Italy, skipping up the hallway with a "Ve~ Hi, everyone~!".

He stops with a scared "Wah~!" when I look at him with England's green eyes; he hides behind France and uses the blond as a human shield—"I didn't do it~!" he wails.

"Ita, it's me!" I start, and point to England, in my body—"That's England."

"Ve~…I don't really get it, but whatever," he says, giving a shrug.

"Italy, you're going to have to stay close to someone who can protect you," England says slowly, trying not to frighten the adorable pasta-lover.

"Okay," Italy replies plainly; he then turns around and skips away, calling, "America, I need you~!"

I watch Arthur make my face exasperated, "At _all_ times—that includes now!" he yells as he jogs away, down the hall Italy wandered away in.

A small motion from Canada—an amusedly disapproving glance to Issa—somehow triggers a chain of events. Issa sticks her tongue out at the aforementioned nation, and then sort of bear-naps Kumajiro, who sat at Canada's feet. She put him in her hood with a small warning of "Hold on!", and grabs Rin's and my hands, taking off in a run. We end up in the infirmary, with me and Rin practically being dragged along behind our friend. I hear a chattering noise, but it was just Kumajiro's teeth, clashing against each other as Issa ran.

When we reached the infirmary, Issa opens the door, and strides in, letting go of Rin and I. She removes the polar bear from her hood and sits in Rin's spinny-chair. Rin sits kind of awkwardly on the side of Issa's bed, and I just kind of sit really close to Dimah, realizing but not regretting the fact I am now a male nation. Poor Dimah looks so confused—Issa laughs, and I'm sure she's thinking the same thing I am. It's going to take quite a bit of explaining, the magic…

"So…," Issa started, "Can you explain the lookalike process-thingy to me? You said something about it, in the basement," she said to Rin.

The girl nodded and began to explain—I eagerly listened.

"It works in phases. There are six phases, more or less. The first phase depends on whether or not the nation in question has a curl. Because if he or she does, then the lookalike gets that curl, too."

"Okay. I got my curl a while ago," Issa added, flicking the looped strand of hair and immediately regretted it, screwing her face up in the sudden pain that followed.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…if you touch the curl…_bad stuff happens_," she whispered.

"Bad stuff…" Rin repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Issa nodded, and Rin shrugged—I flopped over tiredly. I don't know why I'm tired…

"Alex freaked out when he thought I was going to touch his curl, so, alright," Rin rationalizes. "Anyway, the second phase is for any wounds the lookalikes have to be healed."

"Check," Issa comments.

"That explains it. These should start healing any time, now," Rin says, delicately rolling up her pants leg and pivoting her ankle, displaying her cuts.

I looked at them, and suddenly skin kind of…_crawls _over the jagged red marks and the violent red shade fades to a pink.

"…Gross," Issa decides after watching Rin's cuts heal; Rin smiles.

Well, I thought it was cool…

"As I was saying, Phase Three is seeing the nation's memories," Rin continues. "I've started flashing-back, but I was so distraught that I kept pushing them away. Phase Four is the nation and lookalike communicating with telepathy. I guess it's because they're becoming one."

My mind jumps immediately to an image of Russia, and I hold in a snicker. Issa grins at Canada, and they make eye contact before Canada flinches, just a little bit.

"Phase Four…hasn't happened to me yet. I'm dreading it. I don't want to know what Japan's thinking. I don't want _him _to know what _I'm _thinking. I don't like him." Rin says; clearly this has been bothering her.

It may be my division, comforting people when they're troubled, but it's not my conversation. Issa looked unsure of how to handle the situation, so she was silent as well—Dimah was just kind of quietly trying to piece together "England's" sudden closeness and disregard for personal space. Nonetheless, Issa puts a comforting hand on Rin's knee, and Rin smiles, before keeping on.

"Phase Five happens to the nations. The more memories a lookalike sees, the more transparent the nation becomes." She pauses for a few seconds and continues on with, "Germany said Phase Six is extremely painful to both. The nation—" Rin stops as someone else's words overlap hers.

"—disappears for good, and the lookalike takes the place as the representative of that country." Prussia finishes.

Whoa. Shocker…Prussia, huh? Everyone in the room (everyone had been listening because they weren't being that quiet. Even Dimah had snapped out of his personal stupor and was paying attention—we were all curious to what the lettuce is going on) stops and stares at the albino man. He slouches in his chair, staring at his shoes rather sheepishly.

"…How did you know that?" Rin asks.

Prussia finally looks up, but he stares at every nation in the room with a very uncharacteristic, almost depressed, empty kind of stare. His eyes were clouded with sadness. There was no better word to describe them—sad.

"No one remembers?"

"Remembers what?" Harvey asks.

"Rome…not even you?"

The child form of the once-great empire merely shakes his head in his seat by Romano and Spain.

"_Mi dispiace, _Prussia…"

"So…no one remembers that…the first representative of Prussia…was a girl?"

Silence fills the room and suddenly my head is full of new thoughts. CANON GENDERBEND! Okay, really bad time, brain. Seriously.

For once, Prussia seems to dislike the attention he was receiving—every pair of eyes was on him and it would make me uncomfortable, too…

So he explains.

"It was before the Teutonic Order…her human name was Monika. Prussia was just starting out. I was training to be a knight. I thought she was a princess…" He gives a small chuckle, here. "She saw my natural chibi-awesomeness and wanted me to be her guard. I think it was because we were both albino. But mostly because I was the awesome-est little chibi in the entire world!"

There's the Prussia I know…

"Anyway, I would stand guard outside her room every night and follow her around, and do guard-things. But, sometimes, I would see things that were not awesome. I guess it was other chibi-nations, and they're still not awesome, even after all the years fighting the Awesome Me. And the little unawesome cuts I'd get during training up and left. Then, both me and Monika got really sick at the same time. I went into a coma at the same time she did. Woke up…my princess was gone. She couldn't have been older than I was at the time, because my nation came into an awesome little blob over Europe around the time I, the Awesome Gilbert, was born. I…" He hesitates here for a long time as he stops and lets the words sit on his mind for a bit, "…I loved her. Yes, it was chibi-young-puppy-love, but still love!" He adds indignantly.

No one's judging you, Gil…no one even commented or snickered at all the whole of his story.

After a few minutes of silence, he fumes, "Well, don't just sit there and gawk at me like that! It's not awesome!"

Issa moves closer to the ex-nation and gently hugs him. He holds out a long sigh, and then hugs her back.

"I'm so sorry…" she tells him.

"Way way way-y-y-y before your time. Nothing you could've done. Nothing _anyone _could've done…" He mutters back.

His voice was so hollow, so hopeless…it was defeated and just so unnatural for his personality.

"Well, there's got to be something we can do now," England says determinedly.

Wait—wait just one moment, when did he get in here?! … Meh.

Run suddenly gasps and clamps her hands over her ears, beginning to mumble, "No. No, please. Get out. Stay away from me…"

I suppose Phase Four has begun…

"I need to get away from all of you," She tells us shakily, "Don't tell me anything important." She pauses, furrows her brow in mild rage, and mutters, "Don't tell me what to do."

"Okay," Issa speaks up, stands, and leads the poor girl out of the infirmary.

I twiddle my toes for a moment, having removed my clunky penny-loafers as I sit next to England, bored.

"What's the point of those things, anyway? They're absurd." I say, holding up the left shoe, "I don't know why on earth anyone would take their two-cents' worth and stick them in these _girly shoes!_"

England pouts for a moment. "I like those shoes…!" he complains.

Then, Prussia adds, "Why not at least make them with quarters? Then you could make a phone call, at least…"

"I know, right?" I replied.

This triggers a conversation about shoes with the albino nation, cheering him up along the way as best I could.

Then, suddenly, a scream rang out through the house. Practically everyone who wasn't tied down jumped up (derp) and ran to find the source of the noise, with me going with them. It wasn't long until we discovered who it was—China.

"What happened?" England immediately begins checking for injury.

China begins to babble incoherently in a mixture of Chinese and Japanese, pausing every now and then for breath. Then Issa runs up.

"What happened?" She asks.

"…And _then_, there was this person, and they tackled me like Lauren does, aru!" he jabbers.

I take offense to that! …I think…

"It couldn't have been _you_," he points at Issa, "because you had Japan's lookalike with you! And this person also had some sort of crossbow, aru!"

"Well, what did they look like?" Canada asks.

"I didn't get a good look at them, aru," China says ruefully.

Isn't that always the case…?

"What was he wearing?"

"I didn't see that either, aru."

Some help you are… Whoa. I can't tell if that's my usual cynicism, or Teacup or England… D:

"Well for the love of—" England starts.

"It's _dark!_" China protests, "And they were gone before I could turn on the light, aru!"

"Well, did you at_ least_ get the gender?"England says, clearly at the end of his rope.

China looks down, as if he were a child, being scolded for stealing from the cookie jar. "No, aru…"

Cue the foot-twiddle of guilt.

"Do you have any proof of this mysterious person?"

"…No, aru." He repeats, guiltier, almost.

"Then I suggest we turn in and call it a day," England says, rubbing his (my) temples.

"Wait…!" Jia Li calls out—once the attention is on her, she blushes and almost regrets her outburst, but continues anyway, "I can see China's memory, aru. He's not lying, aru. There really was a person."

"Were you able to answer any of my questions, love?" England asks, turning on a more motherly tone (which is okay now he's in a female body…or does that make it worse?) so Jia Li might not be further embarrassed.

"W-well…the person's shadow had their hair in a bun," he says. "I think it might be female, aru. A male with long hair is also likely…"

"See?!" China cries with triumph, "I told you, aru! I'm _not _crazy!"

Well…I wouldn't say that…

England just stands there frowning my frown.

"I think Austria should invest in some manner of security…" he muses to himself, and I kind of agree.

"Yeah, no kidding," America huffs as he passes with Italy in tow.

"U-uh…maybe you saw me…?" someone asks.

I see Issa jump and whirl around, and most of the others do. I just kind of turn, confused at the new voice. Then I refuse a squee of fangirlism, for it is…

"Lithuania~!" Russia chirps, waving from the doorway.

He's shirtless and covered in stitches…

The nervous Lithuanian, who appeared from the shadows (ninja-Liet?) with his hair up in a ponytail, jumps and cowers behind Issa.

"He won't hurt you," she says softly.

"You don't know his powers!" he hisses back.

**(A/N: Okay, sorry for this (not really) but I just pictured Russia as Gandalf. I don't know. It's late, okay?)**

"I challenge that, my good sir," Issa replies in a British accent.

I feel myself resist the urge to laugh as England scowls at her, looking as if he wishes to lecture her about it. He probably will later…

"I know, but Russia, in the past—" Suddenly he stops. "You're human." He states blankly.

Excellent deduction.

"You didn't hear any of that! He's Ivan and I'm Toris N-nice to meet you! Ahahah~!" He laughs nervously there at the end, and shakes Issa's hand with a bit of unnecessary force.

"It's okay. I already know everything with the nations and such." She explains.

"I-is that what the distress call was about, M-Mr. Russia?"

"Somewhat," The giant replies, smiling.

Liet looks around, confused. He sees Jia Li, England (he sees my body, and I am/was human) and Harvey, whom was hovering beside France.

"How many humans do you _have_ here?!" he yelps, backing away from Issa.

"Oh, well, there's…" Russia pauses and mumbles to himself, counting on his fingers, "…Fifteen! I think…"

I do a count of everyone in my head. However, Alex and Sydney are elsewhere, so it's down to thirteen or so.

"W-well…_why?!"_

"This will take a while to explain…" England says, "Please come in, Lithuania."

Liet just stares at him—well, him as me.

"…I'm England," He says, "There's been a slight mix-up…"

"Th-then who's…" Lithuania starts, pointing at me as Arthur.

"I'm Lauren~!" I chirp, flailing England's arms gleefully.

France snickers; it's not often he sees England (well, England's body) move like I make it move.

"O-oh. Okay…" Lithuania says, "Oh, wait—" he pulls a walkie-talkie from his pocket and speaks into it: "Latvia, Estonia. There's no danger. You guys can come to the…second floor. It's a hospital room." There are muffled responses that I can't quite make out due to the static and my slight distance from the nation.

"I'm going back to Rin," Issa tells anyone who's listening (which as always, includes me~) and wanders back in that direction.

I myself begin to wander off, despite England's protests about safety and all that junk. I go find as many windows as I can and just stare out of them, looking around. Wandering the manor alone was probably a bad idea and I can't deny I'm a bit shaken, but I decided it was all just China being senile and old. And wise, probably, but still old. I mean, who's to say it wasn't Liet?

Near a back window on the second floor, I get to see out into the garden in the back, which was frozen over with the signs of winter. And then I notice something grey, out of the corner of my eye—something made of stone. Something covering its eyes…

"Oh my heavenly pasta…" I whisper, trying to keep my eyes open and focused on the potential demon.

It's just fear and stimulus but just because I know it in my brain doesn't mean I don't feel the adrenaline or the fear.

Was that really what…no. It couldn't be…

I run back to England, but bump into Austria along the way, and decide to warn him.

"Austria. Weeping Angel, your backyard." I say, breathless.

"Excuse me?"

"There's a Weeping Angel in your back garden…"

"A what?"

"Weeping Angel!" I exclaim exasperatedly—and notice Arthur walk into the hallway.

"What?" Arthur asks, and I feel about ready to grab both of the nations by the necks and just—

"A WEEPING ANGEL. IN AUSTRIA'S BACK GARDEN."

Arthur sighs and smiles softly.

"Lauren, there's no such thing…"

"Don't judge me! Its hair is in a bun, maybe that's what got China!" I say, flailing.

"No, if that was the case, he would be somewhere in the past, love. Remember?"

I pause. "…Right. But still!"

Then—

"There he is again, aru!" Is heard from down the corridor.

England runs off, and I just sigh, talk with Austria for a moment, and retreat to the bedroom Issa and I shared. I was still kind of paranoid, so I shut the curtain and sat on a bed, staring at the wall opposite me. I didn't notice the Teacup curled up on the pillow, napping—he didn't notice me so I didn't disturb him. I just kind of let my mind wander.

_So, if there's a Weeping Angel in the garden, why doesn't it attack? It's just a statue, stupid, that's why…Well, then, brain, you're polite… Let's think about something else, shall we?_

I begin to put on a pair of the old baggy blue pajama pants that were really meant for girls, but they still fit quite well—a very loose white t-shirt came next, and then, I was lying on the bed, just pondering life. I looked down at the bare pale arms of my nation, and noticed the faded burns and scars. This lead me to begin thinking, really thoroughly about stuff. Time passed and then Issa and Rin come into the room, finding me, sitting up and staring blankly at the wall, deep in thought. I barely notice their entrance.

"What's up?" Issa asks, sitting next to me.

I snap out of my stupor and trail my refocused eyes over Issa's face, took a moment to process, and then spoke.

"I'm historical," I say simply, resting my head in my hands as I spoke in England's voice—it was still kind of weird, but also kind of fitting…

"What?" She asks, confused.

"Every single scar I have, and now, everyone seems to have…they're like words on a history book's pages. Every isn't something you forget…you always remember how you got them. It could be a bike accident when you were young, or it could be what a knife left behind…incident or intended, everyone gets hurt in some manner. And, not all wounds are visible. We both know that…all too well…" I explain, and trail off, going back to my thought and flopping over back onto the bed, careful not to kick Issa.

Then, out of nowhere I get the urge to sing England's Campfire Song. So I smile, and I do.

"_Meramera to, oyaki tsukuse sumi kara sumi made sono gouka de, atokata mo nokoranu youni, Tamashii made mo yaki tsukuse…_" I sing, staring at the wall again.

I begin to drift to sleep, with my eyes still open as I feel the indent where Issa was sitting vanish—she got up. I sigh, and continue thinking, dreaming without sleep—until Issa pulls me up.

"Come on, up you get," she says as she pulls me to my feet.

Confused and now very drowsy, I look at her, "What happened?"

She takes a little camera out and holds it up. "We've got a spy somewhere."

"Oh," I mumble, kind of too tired to really care, "that's not good…"

Should I inform her of the possible alien presence now?

"It's not," she agrees, "Let's go show England."

She walks past Rin, and before she could step out of the room an arrow lodges itself into the doorframe, causing Issa to yelp and tumble back into me. I opened my arms to catch her, just in case.

"I'd appreciate it if you left my equipment alone," someone says.

"I'd appreciate it if you left us alone," Issa retorts after a long pause.

Then, a girl with a scar on her face, not unlike Issa's, walks up and pulls the arrow from the doorframe.

"Camera, please," she says, holding out her hand in the give-me manner—palm up.

"Finders keepers."

"Ha hah. Now give me my camera."

"Leave us alone."

"No, I don't think I will."

"Then I don't think I'll give it back."

Whoa. Sass.

The girl glares at Issa—red eyes, just like Prussia. White hair, just like Prussia. She's just got something else that rings a bell, that I can't quite put my finger on…

Suddenly Rin speaks up.

"You're—you can sense them, can't you?"

The girl quietly acknowledges Rin. "What's it to you?"

"I can too," Rin tells her, "I was kidnapped and tortured, too…" She pulls down the neckline of her shirt to her collarbone, to reveal the tip of a long scar on her chest.

The girl stares at Rin for a few more seconds. I realize what's familiar about her—it's the way she holds herself, exactly like Prussia. Half-slouched and half-erect, demanding respect.

She seems to be near twenty. Her face is kind of blank as she keeps on regarding Rin. Now she's still and I could see all sorts of electrical wires and things poking out of every possible pocket on her person. She really seems to know what she's doing.

"Give me my camera, or I'll take it from you," she says, turning to Issa.

Then she's tackled by Prussia himself.

A few other nations wander in, and take her away—Rin and Issa go with them. England hesitates for a second and looks at me.

"…Are those women's trousers?"

"Indeed." I reply, stony-faced.

He just furrows his brow and then wanders off with the others. I've had enough of today, for one thing, so I crawl into my bed and sleep. They don't need me to interrogate Prussia's lookalike, they'll do fine on their own…

I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

**Okay, that's all, because it's 5:50AM and I started writing at 3:30AM. My head is pounding and my stomach hurts and I need to sleep, NOW.**

**So, yeah. Lots of Doctor Who in this—the Weeping Angels and whatnot. For those of you who haven't heard of them, they're these creatures from the British Sci-Fi show "Doctor Who"—specifically the newer series.**

**They're an ancient race from a faraway planet as most of the things are in the show. They're predators and psychopaths, but they can't move if you look at them. It's a fact of their biology—they're "quantum-locked". They'll turn to stone as long as you're looking at them. And you can't kill a stone. But a stone can't kill you either—but as soon as you turn your back or look away….they're faster than you can believe**


End file.
